Warmth
by NeonHorizon
Summary: Half-frozen, half-dead. Dragged through the snow and into the nice, warm, cozy home of a healer. Dabi might like it a bit too much to let himself leave again. Now the problem is keeping his little healer only his. Written for fun. Casual updates.
1. Chapter 1

NeonHorizon: A holiday short story featuring Dabi. Full disclosure; this was a fun challenge because none of my previous OCs like Dabi. This girl is special. This is a short, one chapter story, but if enough people enjoy it then I might make it a full fanfic series. So if you like it, leave a review and let me know what you think! Happy holidays! Update: This is now a fanfic series!

* * *

_You don't look so good. What happened?_ The snow crunched beneath her boots as she neared the figure in the alley. The motionless figure that sat slumped against the wall with a pool of darkness beneath them. The snow around them seemed to have melted, but when she got closer she realized that it was due to blood.

The figure was that of a young man around her age. His head was bowed, eyes closed. His breathing came slowly, labored, and his exhales appeared as bursts of steam in the cold night air. The clothes he wore were far from suited for the winter evening, made even more evident when she realized he was shivering.

The front of his white shirt was dotted with crimson around the neck and bore larger splotches around his ribs on one side, a few cuts bleeding through here and there. Blood ran from his lips, still dripping in a soft tap upon his shirt. There was a deep gash just below his collar bone that caught and held her gaze.

Crouching down, she looked at the man's features more closely. He was unlike anyone she had ever seen before. People varied vastly in appearance, as she realized, but he was particularly strange-looking. There were dark purplish patches of skin as well as the pale peach sort of tone of most of his skin. The dark patches seemed to be connected to the other skin by staples of some sort. Almost like a strange form of body modification.

Seeing the piercings on the right side of his nose and in his ears, she was sure it must be some kind of body modification. _He's…kind of cool-looking._ She shook her head and frowned. Chewing at her lower lip, she glanced off down the alley. No one was out at this time of night. She knew she looked pretty sketchy already, but what she was about to do was even sketchier.

_I can't leave him out here. He's still alive, but he's going to bleed out or freeze if I leave him._ She carefully moved him a little and heard a soft grunt of pain. Gritting her teeth, she finished moving him so that he was lying on his back on the ground.

She was not nearly as strong as a hero or even a police officer, but she was above average when it came to strength. After all, she worked as a kindergarten teacher. She was always having to carry children around or move things in the classroom. Sometimes she had to carry many children at once.

Wrapping her arms around the young man, beneath his arms, she lifted him a little. With a few quick twists, she had maneuvered his unconscious body onto her back and began to shakily proceed down the alley. His blood was soaking into her sweater and shirt through her coat, but she did her best to ignore it.

He was at least a foot taller than her and the toes of his boots dragged through the snow behind her, but the young woman persisted until she got him into her apartment. It was quite a walk. Her limbs ached and she was shaking by the time she got him there, but she was satisfied that she had at least prevented him from freezing to death on Christmas night.

Now there was a new problem. He was sprawled on the floor, on his back, still bleeding profusely. The pale peachy parts of his skin were starting to look more pale than peachy at this point and his skin was cold to the touch. He was still breathing, though.

Rolling up her sleeves, she knelt beside him on the floor and lifted his head and shoulders up so they could rest on her thighs. _Okay. I can do this. It can't be __**that**__ bad, right? Besides; he's unconscious. I can at least take care of things myself. It won't be that bad. Just…grit your teeth and get it over with!_

**Shift P.O.V**

The air had been icy when he felt sleep taking hold, but now he was pleasantly warm. He opened his eyes slowly and found himself staring up at a white ceiling. Dabi wiped at his mouth when he tasted metal and his hand came away with flakes of dried blood on it.

This was around the time that he felt the soft heat against the back of his head and neck. He pushed himself up, disregarding his injuries for a moment, and turned to see what that heat was. His eyes widened a bit when he saw her.

A girl around his age, lying sprawled on her back with her legs tucked beneath her. Blood soaking through her sweater and leaking from the corner of her mouth. Eyes closed. Her body bearing wounds identical to his. Dabi raised an eyebrow and suddenly became aware of the fact that his own injuries seemed to be painless.

He lifted his shirt and saw that there was dried blood, but the cuts had sealed up. Where he had been almost mortally wounded, he now bore scars. Dabi rubbed his head and looked down at her again.

She was pretty thin. Everything about her was rather pale. Fair skin, long white hair that was matted with blood in some spots. The sweater she wore was white as well and the jeans she was wearing were rather pale. He was sure that, beneath the blood, her lips were probably a pale pink.

"Hey. Get up."

There was no answer. The girl lay motionless. Not even a twitch or flutter of her eyelids. He crept closer and stared down at her. He was more curious than angry. He wanted to know what sort of quirk she had since it seemed like she had transferred all of his wounds to her own body. He wanted to know why she helped him and what she expected to get out of this.

Dabi looked from her to the rest of the room. It seemed to be a modest little apartment. Small kitchen. Small area with a dark blue couch, a television, and a few stacks of books. There were two doors against one wall that were most likely her bedroom and her bathroom.

Since he had no desire to go back out into the snow, he decided to just sit there and bask in the warmth for a while. It was during this little rest that he heard the squeaking of a wheel and turned his attention to the sitting area again. He had overlooked it before, but she had a cage near the television. A cage that held two white rats with bright red eyes. One was running on the little wheel in the cage and the other seemed to be burrowing in the stuff on the floor of the cage.

_Rats? That's seriously weird._ Dabi pushed himself to stand and had to smirk. He still felt a little weak from the blood loss, but the pain was gone at least. He crossed the room in just a few steps and leaned down to tap a finger against the bars of the cage. "Hey, guys."

Remembering how deep his injuries had been, Dabi turned to look at the girl bleeding on the floor. It was rare that he came across someone who could really hurt him, but he had been ambushed by a handful of people while he was burning a few low life idiots to ashes. The cold did not help matters.

In the end, he had won the fight. The pathetic creeps that attacked him were reduced to cinders and he made it out alive. His strength was failing him, though. Dabi had been looking for an abandoned building to shelter in when he fell against the alley wall and began to black out.

Crouching down next to the girl, he raised an eyebrow. _She's…kind of cute. Too bad. She's probably gonna die. _His gaze slid down her body to her abdomen, which was gushing blood from the deep cut on her ribs and the various other little lacerations.

He reached down to push some pale hair away from her face and felt the faint warmth radiating from her cheek. Dabi tilted his head and leaned down closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied her features. There were a multitude of light scars that riddled her skin. As if from minor scrapes that occurred over and over again.

The girl's snow-pale eyelashes fluttered open and a pair of lilac eyes stared up at him through a haze of pain and fatigue. Their faces were a mere six inches apart and what blood she had left rushed to her cheeks. Her red-smeared lips twitched into a slight grin. She looked oddly relieved to see him.

"Awesome. You're…feeling better?" Her voice was smooth, warm. Soft.

He stayed close and smirked down at her. "What's your name?"

"Ngh. Just a second." She struggled, but pushed herself to sit upright and laughed shakily. "I don't know what happened to you, but _ouch_! This really stings!"

"You're crazy."

"Heh. Yeah, probably. Look at me; I don't even know you, but I took your injuries. Ngh! Just a second." The girl managed to get herself to stand and fell against the wall, blood running freshly down the side of her lips and drizzling down her neck. "Damn."

"What're you doing? You need something?" Not that he planned to help her.

"I've got it. Just stay here. Be back in a few minutes."

Dabi watched her stagger to one of the doors and watched her slip into that room. He flopped onto her couch, enjoying the comfort of the dark blue cushions. He decided that he liked her. She was really weird. She was probably a little crazy. What he liked best, though, was the way she looked at him. Like she knew him, like she liked him.

There was a clattering sound in the bathroom, followed by a yelp. He crossed the little room to the door and had it open in a few seconds. She had stripped off her sweater and was now wearing just a thin black tank top. She seemed to be in the middle of attempting to patch up the wound on her ribs. However, several things had fallen from the shelf in the bathroom and she was sitting on the floor among rolls of bandage and blood-stained towels.

**Shift P.O.V**

Shaking her head, she tried to laugh it off, but everything hurt. She had not realized just how serious his wounds had been when she took them from him. Not that such knowledge would have stopped her. If anything, she probably would have taken his wounds sooner if she knew.

"What're you doing? You're a mess," he taunted.

Her cheeks felt hot suddenly and she ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I know, right?" she attempted to joke. She grabbed the bandage roll she had been trying to apply to her chest wound and felt her heart skip a beat when his hand moved to take it from her. She had failed to even notice him enter the room.

"Give it to me. I'll take care of it. Just don't complain if I wrap it too tight."

She tried to hold still as he began wrapping her chest, putting layer upon layer of gauze over the laceration on her ribs. _This is crazy! I don't even know his name. I guess he doesn't know mine, either._

"I'm Sayuri. What's your name?" She tensed as he finished, tying off the bandage. The young woman was about to take the roll from him to take care of the cuts on her arms, but he gripped her right wrist and began winding the gauze along her forearm.

"I go by Dabi."

Sayuri snickered. "What? Like, as in _cremation_?"

He leaned down, his intense turquoise eyes staring down into her lilac ones. "What's so funny? You don't like my name?" There was an edge to his tone as he drew a little bit closer.

"It's _edgy_," she replied with a smirk. "Pretty cool. So your quirk is probably some kind of fire thing, right?"

Dabi blinked and leaned back again to resume his task. "What's your quirk?"

"I can take people's injuries and either give them to myself or force them onto someone else. When I take an injury, it heals the other person, but they won't gain back any blood they lost. It only works with fresh injuries though," Sayuri explained. She lifted her freshly bandaged arm and smiled. "And you?"

He seemed pleased and let himself half-grin. "My flames can burn a lot of stuff to ashes really fast because they're so hot. It's pretty cool, but that injury thing you've got sounds useful."

"Ngh. Yeah, it is." Sayuri waited for him to finish wrapping her other arm before pushing herself to stand. She stretched her arms over her head, feeling her back pop a little. "Hungry?"

"What? Seriously?"

"Yeah. Seriously. I got some food earlier for my Christmas dinner, but I've got a lot." She was still feeling pretty weak, but at least the blood loss had stopped now. _I didn't think it'd hurt so much_, she thought as she bit her lip. Remembering how her flesh had torn open so deeply, her stomach turned.

There were no regrets from helping him, though. She enjoyed his company, even if he was kind of unsettling. He got a little too close at times. Sitting extremely close to her while he wrapped her wounds. Standing only a foot away while she started making tea in the kitchen. It was a little unsettling, but at the same she enjoyed the heat radiating off of him. The smug, but kind of cute way that he smirked.

"So what'd you get?"

Sayuri opened the fridge and drew out a bucket of fried chicken she had purchase earlier that day. "I've got some beer, too."

He raised an eyebrow, looking from the bucket to the girl's face. "Seriously? That's…pretty lame. I thought girls liked baking stuff for Christmas."

"What's wrong with fried chicken? It's a tradition for me." She frowned and put the best pieces on a plate for herself while giving him the less desirable pieces. "So? What do _you_ usually do for Christmas?"

"This is a pretty sad tradition. What? Do you sit here and watch Christmas specials by yourself, too?" he taunted.

She bit her lip and bowed her head, pale hair falling around her face. "_So_? There's nothing wrong with that, is there? Why should I have to spend the night with someone?"

For the past seven years, Sayuri had a tradition when it came to Christmas day. She would get her friend Fuyumi a small gift and deliver it to her during the day. The two usually went for coffee around mid-morning and they would catch up on their lives since they were both usually pretty busy. Then she would get her fried chicken, a small Christmas cake from a bakery, and she would settle in her apartment until two days after Christmas. It had been like this every year since her parents disowned her.

Christmas was a time to be around others. Lovers. Friends. Family. The only person she really felt close to was her best friend Fuyumi. This was perfectly fine with her, though. Boyfriends came and went. Family faded away. Fuyumi was always there. Always ready to make her feel better.

"I doubt you'd understand." She turned to give him his plate and found the young man's intense turquoise eyes narrowed upon her curiously. "What?"

"Why do think I'm still here? You think I've got anything better to do?" Dabi lifted a hand, his thumb skimming along a scrape on her cheek. Not at all in a harsh rub; more like a soothing caress. He heard her breathing hitch and smirked.

The cold chicken was eaten in the kitchen at the small table. Sayuri felt herself starting to feel better again when he spoke. He was complaining about the chicken not being seasoned enough, but the way he talked made it sound more like a joke. She had to be careful about chewing because she nearly choked once or twice due to laughing.

"So what happened to you? When I found you in that alley, you looked like someone tried to carve you up."

Dabi smirked and ran his fingers through his scruffy black hair. "Try not to get so excited. You look like a sadist." He sighed and leaned against the fridge as she washed their plates. "It doesn't matter what happened," he muttered, his cockiness apparently fading.

**Shift P.O.V**

His eyes opened slowly and he blinked, staring at the Christmas movie playing on the television. Dabi felt weight on top of him. Not something exceptionally heavy, but noticeable. He started to wake up more and more, realizing what sort of position he was in.

Sayuri had offered to let him stay long enough to watch one Christmas movie with her. That had been three hours ago. Now Dabi was lying on his back on her couch; his left leg hanging over the edge, left arm wrapped around her waist, and his right arm crossed behind his head as a makeshift pillow. He stared down at the pale-haired young woman sleeping on top of him and he smirked.

Her head was resting on his chest and one hand was gripping the front of his shirt loosely. Her legs were to either side of his right leg and her body was pressed against his. Sayuri's breathing was soft and warm, gently brushing over his chest where his shirt failed to completely cover his skin.

The villain's hand lifted from her lower back and ran through her hair, pushing it away from her face. She was crazy. She had to be. After all, she was spending Christmas night with a villain. She had saved his life, let him invade her space and spend Christmas with her. What sane person would do that for a dangerous stranger?

She was cute, though. He liked the innocent, almost naïve way that she acted half the time. He also like the defensive, sarcastic side of her that had come out that night. Dabi continued to run his fingers through her hair, listening to the gentle breathing of the sleeping girl.

_I'm not leaving you alone now_, he thought as his smirk grew. _You let me in and now I'm not going anywhere. I like it here. But more than that…_His eyes closed as he turned them so she was on her back beneath him.

Sayuri's lilac eyes slid open and she looked up at the villain groggily for a moment before her face was flooded with a pink hue. "Dabi? What-?"

His knee slid up along her inner thighs, pressing close against her as he brought his face down to the side of her neck. "I like you. So I'm going to keep you." One hand slid beneath the hem of her sweater, resting on her hip, as his other hand held her chin in place. "Think you can handle me?"


	2. Chapter 2

The apartment door was a joke. It took very little effort for Dabi to force his way in. Of course, that could have been avoided if she was home. It was late afternoon so he thought she would be off work by now, but he was letting himself into a silent apartment. Even her rats were quiet as they dozed in the corner of their cage.

He shut the door behind him and managed to jam it in a way that it would at least stay closed. When he was satisfied, he ventured into the little kitchen to search for a possible snack to tide him over while he waited for Sayuri. Unfortunately, the fridge was pretty empty. He had hoped she would have some leftover meat he could eat and was disappointed by the meager amount of food.

Dabi settled for the cold fries, despite having no idea how old they might be. He sprawled on her couch, letting the dark blue cushions bring comfort to his tired limbs. The food was kind of greasy and settled in his stomach like a stone, but it was better than being hungry.

Fatigue was threatening to take hold as he lounged on the sofa, staring up at the pale ceiling. He tucked an arm behind his head as extra cushioning and yawned. The past three weeks had been busy. Lots of fights. Lots of flames. He honestly had a blast, but he had been craving this day for a while.

When he told her he wanted to keep her, he was telling the truth. He liked her. She was pretty cute and he liked her personality. That innocence with a sarcastic edge. Not to mention how she had let him stay with her for a few days and seemed to enjoy fussing over him. It felt pretty good to be spoiled.

He had managed to keep himself from getting hurt while he was away. It was something he made sure to stay aware of. Since she had taken his injuries last time, their activities were limited to more or less cuddling. If they tried to go any further, her wounds would have opened and it would have gotten messy.

After waiting for a while, he closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his scruffy black hair. It was a Friday. It was getting close to dinner time. From what she had mentioned to him, Sayuri usually went straight home after work and ate at home. He was a little annoyed with having to wait for her, but the warmth of the apartment and the comfort of her couch were starting to lull him into relaxation.

Dabi lazily opened his eyes and turned to look toward her bedroom door. The last time he was in her apartment, she had absolutely forbidden him from going into her room. Since the apartment door had given way so easily, he knew he could probably force open her bedroom door if he wanted to. He simply lacked the motivation at the moment.

_What's she doing right now? She said it herself that she's only got that one friend. What'd she say her name was? Yumi?_ He pushed himself to sit up, leaning his back against the arm of the couch. "Seriously. What's taking so long?"

**Shift P.O.V**

"Sorry this is taking so long." Fuyumi gave her an apologetic frown.

"What're friends for? Besides, it's not like I have any reason to rush home. I don't have to feed my rats for another hour." She saw Fuyumi preparing to protest and held up a hand, half-grinning. "I know what you're about to say, but I can't! If I feed them early just once, that's all it takes for them to start expecting it earlier every day."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm one hundred and ten percent sure. Don't worry about it. Besides, you can't carry all of this yourself." Sayuri nodded toward the absurd amount of groceries in the cart, snickering quietly.

Due to past experiences, she was pretty good at hiding her pain. The past three weeks, she had managed to keep her injuries a secret from her best friend. She also kept Dabi a secret. After all, it would look bad if she did mention him. Looking back on it, Sayuri felt like it was as absurd as a one-night stand.

She had let this stranger stay in her home for a few days with her. A complete stranger that had somehow acquired nearly fatal wounds and had refused to divulge how he got them. For all she knew, Dabi might have been involved in something shady and that was how he got hurt.

When he had abruptly vanished in the middle of the night, Sayuri tried to tell herself it was for the best. It was difficult to move on, though. She kept replaying that moment in her head. That moment when she woke up on the couch and he was holding her chin. That moment when he told her he planned to keep her.

Sayuri helped her friend finish up shopping and carried half of the bags to Fuyumi's house. _What does that mean? That he wants to keep me? I don't think I've ever heard someone say that before. Was that just his way of asking me out? So why did he disappear without saying anything?_

"Do you want to stay for dinner tonight? I managed to convince Shouto and Natsuo to agree to eat with me. I'm making a lot so-"

"Um…I can't. Sorry."

Fuyumi's shoulders drooped as she paused in unpacking the groceries. "Sorry. You know…he's not going to be home for a while. Dinner will probably be over before-"

"Y-your dad scares me," Sayuri explained. "I'm sorry."

"Right. Sorry. Um…" She struggled to try to think of what she could say to change the mood in the kitchen. "Oh! I made some curry yesterday and I couldn't finish it all. Do you want to take home the leftovers?"

Sayuri, having a soft spot for curry, eagerly nodded. She was glad to leave the Todoroki house once everything was settled. Even when she was younger, she had always made a point of spending minimal time with her best friend's family. Compared to Fuyumi, the male family members all seemed so cold and unfriendly. She got enough of that from her own family.

The long trudge home left her feeling ragged. It had been a long day at work anyway so adding that to the shopping trip with Fuyumi and now the lengthy walk to her apartment made her just want to collapse. Thoughts of falling onto her bed and eating the curry leftovers cold were appealing.

Her blissful daydream began to rapidly fade away as she stared at her door. The doorknob looked a little dented on one side. When she got her keys out to unlock it, she found it unlocked. However it was difficult to open. Sayuri had to throw all of her weight against the door to force it open and she nearly toppled onto the floor with the plastic leftovers container hugged against her chest.

To further fuel her alarm, Sayuri found a familiar figure sprawled on her couch. Somehow, he had slept through her bursting into the apartment. She held the plastic container closer and pushed the door closed behind her, not taking her eyes off of him. _Did he…break into my apartment?_

Slipping off her shoes, she crept closer to the couch and found herself unable to look away from Dabi's sleeping form. He had his head turned toward her, but his eyes were closed and he was breathing softly, evenly. Sayuri glanced along his figure on reflex, checking for injuries, but found heat rising to her cheeks.

_He broke into my apartment. I should be angry. So why am I checking him out?_ She turned away, planning to put away the leftovers, but found a hand darting up and closing around her left wrist. With a sharp pull, the girl was sent falling onto of him and felt his other arm wrap around her to press against her back.

Turquoise eyes met her lilac gaze and he smirked. "You're late. You usually make people wait around for you?"

"Wh-where have you been?" She was seething, but there was also a layer of relief at seeing he was alive and well. "You disappeared!"

"I had to take care of something." He looked at the container she held and raised an eyebrow. "Is that curry?"

"My friend made it for me." Sayuri sat up, only to realize that in doing so she was now straddling his hips. Lowering her head, she clutched the container tighter against her chest. "Look, you can't just disappear-" She felt her stomach do a flip as he pressed a finger against her lips.

"I came back, didn't I? What? You think I cheated or something?" He saw her face warming in hue again. His smirk grew as he rested a hand on her hip. Leaning up, his lips skimmed along the curve of her left ear. "You thought I'd let you go? I told you I was gonna keep you." A finger hooked through one of her belt loops and tugged teasingly.

Her nose twitched and Sayuri leaned back, away from him. He had a strange scent that she could not remember smelling the last time he was there. Like cooked meat and burnt hair. It was perplexing.

She lifted the container and nodded down at it. "You want some curry?"

Dabi seemed to have been expecting her to say something else, but quickly recovered his smug expression. "Yeah. You're gonna heat it up, right?"

"I will, but go wash up first."

His eyes narrowed and he fell back against the arm of the couch. "Seriously? You sound like a mom."

"I'm serious. You smell like death," she muttered, turning her gaze away.

"You don't seem that turned off by it." Despite teasing her, he obliged and left for the bathroom.

**Shift P.O.V**

_I don't smell like death. Do I?_ He lifted a hand and sniffed, but his skin just smelled the way it always did. Dabi almost wondered if she just failed to notice the scent last time.

To be fair, he had several fresh layers of ashes on his clothes and in his hair. Ashes that were once human flesh. The wind had changed when he was burning some cocky idiots earlier that day, sending a cloud of ashes blowing in his direction. The smell of cooked human flesh and hair probably clung to him like a macabre cologne.

His eyes lifted from his hand up to his reflection in the mirror above the sink. A smirk tugged at his lips when he thought of the expression she wore earlier. How timid and flustered she looked when he caught her watching him sleep. He had missed that as well as the warmth and comfort that her apartment offered.

_This time, I'm staying longer. I can find stuff to do around here so I won't have to leave the area. Besides, she looks like she was lonely without me._ He almost wanted to laugh at that thought.

With what limited resources he had, Dabi managed to get most of the ashes out of his hair and washed them away down the sink drain. He washed his hands and his forearms, but he was not going to waste time using her shower and bath. Not when he had better things to do. After all, she was waiting for him. With curry.

Closing the bathroom door behind him, he found her settled on the couch with two bowls of curry and rice that were steaming. Just the sight was enough to make his mouth water and his stomach growl. The cold fries were not enough to satisfy his appetite. It had been at least two days since he last ate a real meal.

"Why don't you cook? Are you just lousy at it?" he taunted, settling beside her. He took a bowl from her before she could try to move it out of his reach.

The girl frowned and chewed at her fork for a moment, mulling over how to answer his question. "I just don't like it, okay? It reminds me of when I was a kid."

"Don't tell me you've got some sob story about your parents dying."

"They're still alive," she corrected him. "I just might as well be dead to them. It's complicated."

He lifted a forkful of curry and rice to his mouth, savoring the sweet flavor of it. _Sweet curry. Is this the kind of stuff she likes? She looks like she'd be into sweets._ He chewed and prepared a second forkful. "Okay so just spit it out. You wanna talk about it, right?"

"There's not much to talk about. They wanted me to go to UA and become a hero because of my quirk. I wanted to be a teacher. They didn't like that so they just stopped talking to me or acknowledging me. End of story."

"Huh. Doesn't seem that complicated." Dabi watched from the corner of his eye as she pulled her long, snow-pale hair into a ponytail so it was away from her face. His gaze followed the shape of her neck and along her collarbone to where it disappeared beneath her shirt.

"Look, it…doesn't matter anyway, right? Let's just eat before the food gets cold again." She took small, delicate bites and pink rose to her face when she glanced over and caught him now staring at her. "Wh-what?"

He leaned over, without saying a word, and ran his thumb along her lower lip. Bringing it to his mouth, he licked away the curry sauce that had been on her skin and smirked when he saw the pink hue darken to red. Again, he found himself loving the girl's innocence and how easily flustered she was.

Lowering her head to try to hide it, Sayuri failed miserably. The bowl was left on her lap as she pulled two strands of white hair loose from her ponytail to hang on either side of her face. "You know, you…still smell like death," she mumbled, as if hoping to get payback for him embarrassing her.

"What? Are you serious?" Dabi let his fork fall into his bowl and leaned down a little so he could look her in the eyes. Those soft eyes the color of spring lilacs. "Look, unless you're gonna help me wash it off, stop complaining."


	3. Chapter 3

Watching Sayuri with her pets, he could easily picture her as a kindergarten teacher. Dabi remained where he was lounging on the couch, intently observing her. She opened the cage and gently held out a hand for one of the rats to climb on. The pale little creature was settled on the top of the cage and she smiled down at them, carefully running a fingertip over their snowy fur.

He still thought that rats were a weird choice of pet. She seemed more like the kind of girl that would have a basket of kittens or something along those lines. Rats were usually seen as pretty dirty. Vermin. Sayuri was perfectly comfortable with petting them and handfeeding them some pellets though.

"What're their names anyway?"

She glanced over and appeared sheepish. Like she had forgotten he was there. "Shirayuki and Kamishiro. Want to hold one of them?"

Dabi stared down at the one she was now offering him. He reached out, but the rat seemed apprehensive. Its nose got close to his skin as it sniffed and then it sneezed. It recoiled from his outstretched hand. His eyes narrowed and he frowned. "Whatever."

"You washed your hands, didn't you?" Sayuri gave him a curious look as she tried to comfort the rat.

"You're still going on about that? What's it gonna take to make you stop saying that? I don't smell like death." He had been in a decent mood after eating, but now he was starting to get just a little annoyed. Dabi was never self-conscious, but she was making him slightly concerned that she might not want to get close to him if she really thought he smelled strange.

Not that it could really be helped. With what he did, carrying the smell of ashes and burning flesh was unavoidable. It was as he thought this that he felt his lips curl into a smirk. She was so innocent and sweet. He had to wonder what she would think if she knew what he did.

_A serial arsonist and a kindergartner teacher. What a match._ He leaned forward on the couch cushion, his elbows resting on his knees as he watched Sayuri put her pets away. "You're done playing?"

She flushed a light pink and looked away. "Well…I have some stuff to take care of," she explained.

Dabi snickered to himself and shook his head. When he saw her get so flustered, it made him want to do certain things. He wanted to see how red he could make her face turn. How flustered she could really get. He wanted to taint her and see how innocent she would be when he was done.

While Sayuri was in the bathroom, washing her hands, he imagined all of the things he could do to try to make her blush. All of the things he could say to get a reaction from her. The possibilities were exciting and he felt his motivation increasing.

She went to the kitchen without a word to him and that was when he finally got up from his comfortable seat. Dabi leaned against the counter beside the sink as she washed their dishes, his eyes roaming along the length of her forearms. The wounds she had taken from him had healed and now she was left with a few scars. Little reminders on her skin to make her think of him.

He let his gaze lift upwards, roaming over her form until he came to the neckline of her t-shirt. It dipped just low enough to display the scar on her collarbone from that night. A scar identical to the one he had on his own collarbone. Like morbid matching markings.

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri's heart felt like it was doing flips. She kept her head down a little, trying her best to hide how flustered she was. _I barely know him_, she tried to reason with herself. _So why do I feel fluttery around him? Just him looking at me like this…feels like he's touching me._

A finger hooked into the neckline of her shirt and tugged down a little, exposing more of her collarbone. "That looks deep."

"Yeah, you would probably know, huh?" Sayuri lifted a wet, slightly trembling, hand to push a lock of pale hair behind her ear. She could feel heat in her ears from blushing and it only got worse when he leaned over and brought his lips close to her left ear.

"It wasn't too deep for you, was it?" There was a teasing quality to his tone as he asked this.

"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt anymore. I'm tougher than I look." The girl shivered as she felt the scrape of his staples over her cheek and then the side of her neck. "Dabi-"

"Finish this. I'll be waiting."

She tensed when he pulled away and caught the faint smirk that lingered on his face. Sayuri bit her lower lip and frowned. She felt self-conscious before, but when she realized that he was looking her over, she found it hard to focus. Her eyes went to the scars on her arms and she released a quiet sigh.

He had been cut deeply on Christmas night and when she took his injuries, she inflicted those same wounds on herself while simultaneously healing him. She knew the pain he had felt and now that she was alone, she wondered what had happened to him that day.

The horrible wounds. The smell of burned flesh and hair that clung to him. Thinking about it brought on a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew the most obvious answer, but she did not want to believe it. When she asked about his quirk before, he said he made flames that could "burn a lot of stuff to ashes really fast". Sayuri had an awful feeling in her gut that he was burning living things, but that was just too terrible to consider.

Looking over at the couch, she saw that he had made himself comfortable once again. Though he had discarded his coat and boots now. Sayuri had only seen killers on television or in the newspaper. She had never met one. She tried to steer clear of that sort of thing anyway; it was too horrible to think about tragedies in the real world.

_He isn't a killer. He can't be. He was just in a bad accident. That has to be it._ Setting aside the clean dishes in the drying rack, she tried to reassure herself. _There's no way. It's just not possible. I can't have a murderer in my apartment. I'm overthinking things._

As she went to the television, she could feel his eyes on her. Sayuri settled on the floor near a stack of books and movies. She selected a horror movie to watch. While she could not stand gore and death in real life, she could handle horror movies because she knew it was all fake. Especially monster movies.

_He's not a killer_, she told herself again. _That weird burning smell. He has a fire quirk so what if that's why he smells that way? I shouldn't jump to conclusions and assume that he killed someone. _This sounded like a decent explanation. Sayuri knew that people's quirks sometimes affected them in weird ways so this sort of made sense.

Dabi gave her a smug half-grin when she turned toward the couch. He beckoned for her to join him, but made no move to sit up so she could sit next to him. "Come on. What do you look so nervous about? You think I'm gonna bite?"

"You think I'm nervous?" She smiled and stood, but still hesitated to get too close to him. "I bet I bite harder than you do anyway."

"You wanna test that?" He waited for her to finally approach him before grabbing her wrist and pulling her down on top of him. His hands gripped her hips and he smirked as her pale hair fell around his face, brushing over his right cheek.

Sayuri's hands braced against the cushion behind him, her pale purple eyes widening with surprise. "You _were_ planning to come back, right?" She tried to hide her unease, but her tone was one of worry despite her best efforts.

He flipped them abruptly so she was under him, one hand lifting and threading into her hair. His left knee slipped between her legs, bringing them closer. "Seriously? You think I was kidding?" Bright turquoise stared down into soft lilac as his face drew within inches of hers. "I said I was gonna keep you, didn't I?"

"I don't know what that's supposed to mean," she muttered, looking away.

"It means I'm not gonna let you go." Dabi saw her cheeks turning pink, a vibrant contrast against her pale hair, and it seemed to fuel his amusement. His fingers trailed through her hair and then slowly began moving down along her side. She shivered, her hands lifting and tangling in his dark hair. Dabi leaned down to the girl's ear, his warm breath sending a pleasant jolt through her. "You don't want me to let you go, do you? I bet you were lonely without me."

She wanted to give him a snappy comeback, but she was distracted. His left hand was sliding beneath the hem of her shirt and Sayuri could feel it being slipped up little by little. She lightly dug her nails into his scalp, making him inhale sharply. _Was that bad? Did I mess up-?_

"Harder," he growled beside her ear.

"You…you _like_ that?" She got her answer in the form of him moving down from her ear and along her neck. Sayuri's back arched a little and she closed her eyes, her pulse hammering in her chest. The girl's nails sank in a bit deeper, testing him. The fingers of his right hand slipped into the waist of her jeans and tugged.

"Hang on. What're you doing?" Her tone made her sound like she was panicking and she knew her face was turning red.

"Relax. I want to see your scars." Dabi seemed to realize that she was silently questioning him and his eyes darted back to hers. "I've got a scar right here," he said, tapping a fingertip against a spot low on her hip. "I'm just gonna look."

Sayuri tried to calm herself and felt cold air hit her skin when he tugged the denim down to expose her pale flesh. She already knew what he would find. A jagged, pinkish scar that he undoubtedly had on his hip as well. Her eyes closed, teeth lightly sinking into her lower lip as she felt him trace the scar with a fingertip.

"You seriously took all of my injuries. That's crazy."

She could feel warmth against her skin when he drew closer and a weird, jittery sort of feeling took form in the pit of her stomach. Turning her head to the side, she tried to hide how flustered she was felt. Nervous, excitable.

"If you have this one, you probably have _that_ one." Dabi seemed to be turning his attention elsewhere now. His left hand slipped her shirt up more, stopping just short of her bra. A finger tapped at her chest, just beneath the bottom of where her shirt was now.

The girl knew what he was touching. Her deepest scar, acquired the night they met. The scar from a wound that could have ended Dabi's life that night. The wound had been deep and she had lost a lot of blood. It was still tender and made her tense when he touched it. "C-careful."

"What? It's sensitive?" Warmth drew close to her skin and when his lips pressed against her scar, he smirked.

Sayuri's back arched more and her eyes snapped open. Her fingers ran through his hair, sinking in deeply and latching her nails gently into his scalp. A groan was muffled against her ribs and she had to bite back a whimper. It felt strange to have the scar touched this way, but it was not unpleasant.

The staples in his skin lightly scraped over her sensitive flesh as he moved along the length of her scar, pressing his lips where he pleased. At the same time, his right hand began to trail along her outer thigh. He soon moved his hands to hips, gripping a bit roughly, and he finally drew his face away from her ribs.

He saw that her head was turned and he released a frustrated sort of growl. "Look at me." Dabi saw her eyes shift, but her head was still turned to the side. His lips twitched into a smirk and he lifted a hand to grip her right wrist. He leaned back and moved her hand down from his hair, tracing along the side of his neck.

She finally turned her face toward him as her hand was pressed against his ribs, where his identical scar was located. "How did you get hurt?"

Whatever he had expected her to say, it was not that. "What?" Dabi tilted his head, staring down at her in confusion.

"What happened to you? I know I joked about you getting carved up, but…what actually happened to you?"

"You shouldn't ask stuff like that." Dabi was clearly annoyed by the question, but not about to back away.

"You could've died!"

"You really care that much? You barely knew me when you took my injuries. Why does it matter now? I got hurt because some idiots thought they could jump me. Not that it matters." He saw her frowning and knew the mood was ruined. "What? You think they're gonna come after me again?"

After hearing a confirmation that he had been attacked by someone, she found that this was exactly her worry. If someone went after him before, they could do it again. He might not be lucky enough for a healer to stumble across him a second time. Sayuri wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close against her again. "Shut up. You think it's funny? What if I can't find you again?"

Dabi snickered and enjoyed the warmth of her embrace. "What? Are you my personal little healer now? Cute."


	4. Chapter 4

It was snowing again. Light, delicate snowflakes fell around him as he trudged down the alley. With Sayuri at work, Dabi had free time. Too much free time, he had decided. The first few days of sitting around were fine, but he had started to succumb to boredom.

The rats had been fed, just so he could entertain himself for a little while. Something about the way they ate those pellets was amusing. The fridge had been examined, along with the cabinets. Sayuri desperately needed to go grocery shopping. All of her books had been flipped through, daytime television had been watched until he ran out of things that could hold his interest.

What he really wanted right now was a fight. Pushing his hands into his pockets, he released a sigh that came in the form of a steam cloud. The air was so cold it almost felt like each little breeze was needles against his skin.

Dabi was thinking about what he would do when Sayuri returned from work as he rounded a corner into another alley. His daydreams were interrupted by a sharp demand from up ahead. He lifted his gaze from the snow piling up on the ground and he stared at the five men standing further down the alley. "You say something?"

"Hand over your wallet, punk!"

"If you don't, we'll mess you up worse than whatever did that to your face!"

Tilting his head, his lips drew into a smirk. Dabi's eyes widened a little bit as he regarded the men ahead of him. Five. Two of them taller than him, three around his height or a bit shorter. Some with obvious quirks that altered their appearances. Others rather plain.

"What'd you say to me?" he challenged. His heart started to race, adrenaline rushing through his veins at the thought of coming across strong opponents. He wanted a real fight that would push him, but at the back of his mind he knew better. Disappointment was more likely than satisfaction.

"Your face makes me wanna puke." The speaker was one of the taller two and stepped toward him, grinning widely. "Now hand over your wallet before we beat you to a pulp."

Dabi's smirk remained unchanged. He started walking toward the group without any hesitation. "You're calling me gross? My girlfriend likes my face."

"How the hell does a guy like _you_ get a girlfriend? Is she _blind_ or something? You look like a singed ragdoll!"

"Singed? That's…a funny word to pick." He paused a few feet in front of them and lifted his left hand. A bright, dancing blue flame sparked to life in his palm and his smirk spread into a grin.

As he watched them burn to ashes, Dabi found himself moving to stay clear of the smoke. He hated it, but he was thinking of what Sayuri had said regarding his scent. Running his fingers through his hair, he listened to the last pained cries of his enemies. It was only after the final one died that he thought he should have taken their wallets first.

He turned away and began walking back the way he came. _That didn't last long. I'm already bored again. So now what?_

Dabi tried to remember what school Sayuri worked at and, after a little wandering, found himself standing across the street from it. He had no intention of waiting around outside for her. He was really just curious about what the school looked like.

_She teaches kindergarten, right? Makes sense. She's too much of a pushover to teach older kids._ He leaned back against the store front behind him, trying to imagine Sayuri in a chaotic classroom full of children. Of course, he liked that she was easy to persuade; it was part of her innocent charm. He just disliked the idea of someone else taking advantage of that.

After a few hours of just aimless wandering and trying to amuse himself, he went back to the apartment. Dabi grudgingly brushed off any ashes that were still clinging to his clothes and hair before he entered. He lounged on her couch with a book that seemed mildly interesting. Dabi glanced toward her bedroom door, his eyes narrowing.

Just as before, Sayuri told him that her bedroom was off-limits. He had been sleeping on the couch since his return. Any time she slept with him, it was on the couch. Any time they cuddled, it was on the couch. No explanation was offered as to why her room was off-limits.

So far, he had been able to resist the temptation. Mostly because he had convinced himself that he would probably just find a normal room if he went in. As he stared at the door now, he began to feel the urge to open it. The urge was stronger than before and he spent a moment contemplating the consequences he might face if he did open the door.

The worst Sayuri could do was kick him out and he knew she was too sweet to do that to him. More than likely, she would just scold him for snooping around. Even if the consequences were minor, he decided it was not worth it to make her mad at him. Things were going smoothly and he liked it that way.

When he heard the apartment door unlock, he met Sayuri with a half-smile. "Welcome home. I fed the rats."

"They don't eat for another hour! Dabi..." She shook her head and sighed, frustrated. "You can't feed them early. You're going to spoil them."

Dabi watched her cross the room and check to see how much food he gave her pets. Without a sound, he got up and approached her. Both arms wrapped around her waist from behind and he smirked. "What's the matter? You have a rough day or something?"

She tensed, but then lowered her head and put her hands over his. "Kind of," she finally admitted.

"Want me to make it better?"

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri felt a pleasant shiver run through her when he whispered this beside her ear. She pressed back against him a little and half-smiled to herself. "Is this your way of trying to earn your keep?" she joked.

"If that's what you want."

"That sounds so shady!" She laughed and shook her head. Sayuri reluctantly pulled out of his hold, but turned to lean up. She kissed his cheek, bringing a blush to her own face. "I need to get groceries. You want to come?"

"Is this your way of asking me on a date or something?"

"I'm…not brave enough for _that_," she muttered. She started for her room and paused when she heard him right behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Dabi flash her a grin. "You're not-"

"Come on. Just once."

"No." She tried to sound firm, but she knew how she sounded. It was hard for her to be stern with Dabi. He was more intimidating than the kindergartners she taught so her "teacher" voice probably would not have worked on him anyway.

Sayuri changed into a simple white sweater and jeans while she was in her room. She grabbed her coat and pulled it on as she stepped out into the other room again. _What…did he…? Where did he get that?_

In the short time she was in her room, he had discarded his coat on the floor and changed it out for a plain black hooded sweatshirt. As far as she knew, Dabi only had the clothes he was wearing when he showed up. He barely acknowledged her look of surprise when she stared at him. "What?"

"That hoodie…"

"If I knew you'd get this worked up over a hoodie, I would've put this on sooner. Try not to stare too hard," he taunted. Dabi pulled up his hood and nodded toward the door. "Let's make it quick. It's freezing out there."

Sayuri had been thinking for a while about how she never cooked. It was true that she disliked cooking since it reminded her of when she was a kid, but she felt guilty about always bringing home cup ramen or takeout. She had the urge to try to impress him.

Walking through the store with Dabi staying close beside her, she tried to think of what she could make for him. _Stir fry is easy, right? But curry is good on cold days like this. I could get the boil in the bag kind and that would be pretty easy. Guys like meat, though. Maybe something with meat. What would be easy?_

"Naosu-sensei!"

Sayuri immediately smiled upon hearing the greeting and turned in time to catch the little girl that jumped up for a hug. "Hey there! Are you helping your mom shop for dinner, Michiko-chan?"

"We're making curry tonight!" The little girl beamed and looked over Sayuri's shoulder at Dabi. "Naosu-sensei, is that your boyfriend?"

She flushed a bright red and her eyes widened. "Ah. Wh-what? Um…"

"Yeah. What about it, kid?" The answer came from Dabi, who simply stared back at the girl from within his hood. Still grinning.

The child looked back to Sayuri. "Your boyfriend's weird, but he's got a cool smile, Naosu-sensei."

"Michiko! I told you not to wander-! Oh?" The girl's mother appeared around the corner and offered Sayuri a smile. "Hi, Naosu-san."

Quick apologies were made and the student's mother bid Sayuri a farewell before leading her child away to finish shopping. Watching the two walk off, the mother holding the little girl's hand, Sayuri felt a pang of sadness. _That woman. She's a good mom_, she thought.

**Shift P.O.V**

Dabi saw her staring at the mother and daughter as they walked away. It was unusual for him to see her look so down. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, frowning to himself. "What's up?"

She shook her head, trying to seem like nothing bothered her. "Don't worry about it," Sayuri assured him. The young woman's soft, lilac gaze lifted and she attempted a smile. It was small, forced.

Soon she pulled out of his hold and started walking away. "What do you want for dinner? I want to try to make something."

It was easy to keep up with her. He came up beside Sayuri, his vibrant turquoise eyes settled on the frown that had curved her lips. _It's that family. She said her parents disowned her, right? Something about her not going to UA._

He wanted to know more. Clearly, her parents had expected more from her, but she chose a safer job. He wondered if she had chosen to be a teacher simply because it was less dangerous. Though he could easily see her as a hero, too. She seemed to love helping people so it would have made sense for her to be a hero.

"Does shopping remind you of when you were a kid?" she asked over her shoulder. Sayuri tucked a long strand of snow-pale hair behind her ear. "Did you go with your mom when she went grocery shopping?"

Dabi's eyes narrowed. He ran a hand through his hair, beneath his hood. _Why's she getting personal now? Is she trying to distract herself? _A look at her face showed that she was still frowning and there was a wet sheen to her lilac eyes. "Hm. I guess?"

"You guess? Didn't you go grocery shopping with your mom when you were little? Wait…" Guilt settled onto her pale face and Sayuri's frown deepened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume-"

"What's it matter? That's past stuff. And it's boring." He watched her turn away, staring vacantly at a shelf of cup ramen. _Seriously. She's still depressed?_ A quick look up and down the aisle showed that they were alone. He wrapped an arm around her and leaned down to her ear. "Come on. Let me put a smile on your face."

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri was about to attempt a half-hearted scolding, but she was soon distracted by the gentle scrape of metal staples over the side of her neck. Her face felt like it was burning and she bit her lip to stop herself from making a sound. She was embarrassed that he was doing this in public, but at the same time she was glad he was doing it. It was a good distraction from her melancholy.

"I like you and I don't like a lot of people." Dabi's hold tightened and he released a warm sigh that brushed along her neck. "Are you gonna be good and let me cheer you up?"

Those words were enough to bring a smile to her face. No matter how many times he said it, she always felt her heart skip a beat when he said "I like you". "You're sweet," she mumbled under her breath.

"Is that what you think?"

She turned to face him and half-grinned. "I _know_ you are. Dabi…you try to act so tough, but you're sweet to me."

He looked puzzled for a moment and then amused. Leaning down, he brought his face inches from hers. "Oh yeah? Maybe I should change it up to make things interesting. I don't want to be seen as soft."

Sayuri felt a lump of nervousness form in her throat and lifted a hand. Her fingertips traced over the staples that lined his cheek, gently skimming over the discolored flesh that connected to his pale, peachy skin. A shiver ran down her spine when she touched the staples, but she still smiled up at him. "I like you this way, though."

Dabi gripped her wrist and smirked. "Fine. I'll stay like this. For now."


	5. Chapter 5

NeonHorizon: A longer than usual chapter to celebrate Dabi's birthday (I wrote this on his birthday). No actual birthday celebration in the chapter though. Also, some conflict appears. The pairing is still Dabi x Sayuri.

* * *

"So? Do you have any plans for Valentine's Day?"

Sayuri glanced over at her friend before lifting her paper coffee cup to her lips to take a drink. Every year since they were in junior high, neither girl gave chocolates to a boy. Mostly because they were almost always single around that time of year.

They would typically hang out and eat chocolate together on Valentine's Day. It was just yet another friendly ritual they performed every year. Even the year when Sayuri had been seeing someone; she had chosen to spend time with her friend Fuyumi instead.

Now, as she looked at her friend, she felt a bit guilty. This year was different because she was in a relationship and she actually really liked Dabi. She did want to make something for him, but it would be difficult to surprise him since he never left the apartment once she was home.

"We're having chocolate and seeing a movie, right?" Sayuri finally asked. "Or did you want to do something different this year?"

"Seriously? Come on, Sayuri! You're not going to tell me about him?" Fuyumi gave her a sheepish grin. "I mean, you've been practically _glowing_ for a while now. You started dating someone, right? Who is he? What's he like?"

She felt heat rising to her face as she bit her lip. "Well, I…guess I can tell you about what he's like. He's warm, but in his own way…if that makes sense. He's always trying to make me smile and he's really gentle. But he tries to act aloof. It's actually pretty cute."

"Sayuri! We have to make chocolate this year then! You can make some for your boyfriend and I'll just make some for my brothers and father." Fuyumi saw her friend visibly grow tense and her smile fell to a frown. "We can do it when he's not home. I'll make sure he isn't there when you come over."

Walking home alone, after parting ways with her best friend, she felt her good mood fading. Sayuri loved spending time with Fuyumi. She used to be alright with visiting the Todoroki house, when she was younger. It was during her second year of middle school that she began to absolutely dread setting foot in their home.

Her brain was trying to pull the memory to the front of her thoughts and she fought to keep it pushed back. The memory was finally pushed away as something collided with Sayuri's side and nearly knocked her over. She managed to maintain her balance and turned to find a little girl with long, pale hair now sitting on the ground at her side.

The child's knees and palms were scraped from falling down, blood rising to the surface of the scrapes. She stared up at Sayuri with fearful, shimmering crimson eyes. Sayuri instinctively crouched down to the girl's eye level and gently took her hands.

"Are you okay? Here, let me see…" She winced, seeing the dirt ground into the scrapes. "Okay, just hold on a second; I'll fix you up." The young woman offered her a reassuring smile and saw the girl tilt her head curiously. The child was obviously frightened, still in pain, but was at least momentarily distracted from it.

She rummaged in her purse for some tissues and wiped the dirt away from the scrapes before using her quirk. As she closed her eyes and activated it, Sayuri felt something unexpected. Pain. Not just from simple scraped knees and palms, but an absolutely searing pain in her arms and legs. Like knives slicing into her.

Her teeth gritted, tears welling in her eyes. Sayuri bowed her head to try to hide her pain from the little girl, but it was intense. _What…happened to her? This feeling. What is this? Like dozens of chunks of flesh being cut out! And…what…?_ Just as the pain became unbearable, just as she was on the verge of blacking out, it all ended as if it never happened.

Sayuri opened her eyes and stared down into the teary gaze of the girl. _No coat. No shoes. Where did you come from? _She shook her head and shrugged off her coat, leaving herself in just a pale blue t-shirt and jeans. Settling her coat over the child's shoulders, she tried to keep smiling. "What's your name?"

"E-Eri. It's Eri. Um…" She bowed her head and let Sayuri put her arms around her in a gentle hug. The girl was trembling, either from cold or fear; it was hard to tell. "Thank you…"

"It's nothing. I'm Sayuri. Naosu Sayuri. I'm a teacher so it's my job to help kids. I couldn't leave your injuries the way they were." She nodded to herself. "That being said…Where's your mom and dad? You shouldn't be outside on your own. Especially without a coat or shoes. You could catch a cold."

"M-my mom…and dad…? I…I don't…" Fresh tears rolled down the girl's face as she seemed to shrink in on herself almost.

"Hey, it's alright. Eri-chan, do you need help?" Sayuri saw her nod and ruffled the girl's hair, trying to cheer her up as best she could. This girl was around the same age as most of Sayuri's students, but none of her students ever looked this sad. This frightened. "Can I carry you?"

She lifted Eri after the girl nodded and she frowned to herself. _She's really light. Most kids her age weigh a little more than this. Is she homeless? She got so upset when I asked about her parents…_Shaking her head, she began walking down the sidewalk. _I need to just focus on getting her warm, before I think about anything else._

**Shift P.O.V**

_Where is she?_ Dabi glanced at the time and frowned. It was a Sunday so Sayuri had the day off. She left early that morning to meet with her friend, saying she would be back in a few hours and that they would spend the rest of the day together. It was now past noon.

He stretched his arms over his head, yawning as boredom started to set in. The book he had borrowed from her fell onto the floor, open, and startled the rats in their cage. The slightly larger rat jolted and proceeded to scurry from one end of the cage to the other in a frantic attempt to get away.

Watching that was at least a little entertaining. Dabi sat up once it was over and ran a hand through his hair. He was half-tempted to go for a walk to try to kill some time, but his motivation was just low enough to keep him from actually doing it. Besides, if he left now, she might come back and then they would have even less time.

They never did anything crazy. He knew better than to expose her to that side of his personality. Usually, they would just lie on the couch together and watch a movie or she would tell him weird stories about when she was younger. Occasionally, they slept together.

Thinking about that brought a half-grin to his face. She was innocent, even when it came to that sort of thing. _I've gotta teach her something new_, he decided as he stood. _Maybe when she gets back, I'll show her a few different ways. I'm getting bored with that vanilla stuff._

Dabi helped himself to some leftovers from the fridge, tired of waiting for Sayuri to return and eat with him. Cold, poorly seasoned chicken. Her attempt at stir fry. At least it was cooked through all the way and had yet to give either of them food poisoning.

Boredom finally made him decide to go out. He grabbed his coat and determined to take the back alleys to travel. The last thing he wanted was for Sayuri to see him and accuse him of worrying about her. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he imagined it, though. The sarcastic tinge to her voice, the smug smile she would wear. It was cute.

He knew the name of the café where she was going. Before she had left, she had been telling him about their lattes and that she wanted to take him there sometime._ If she's still there with her friend, maybe I'll drop in. I wanna see how nervous she'll get before she's ready to leave._

The dark alleys were, unfortunately, vacant of people so he was spared having to use his flames on anyone to clear a path. It was a minor disappointment that was easily overshadowed when he imagined what he was going to do to Sayuri when he found her. All of the things he could do to try to make her flustered in front of her friend.

When he found himself in an alley across the street from the café, Dabi's smirk fell. His amusement faded and he felt himself growing irritated. Sayuri's innocence was something he loved about her. Something he wanted all to himself. The man talking to her in the café posed a threat to this desire.

**Shift P.O.V**

"There. It should be cool enough now. Go ahead."

"I…I can really have this? It's for me?"

"That's right. It's yours. Go ahead and try some. Let me know if you need more ice." Sayuri pushed the mug of hot chocolate closer to Eri and saw the girl lift it with two, trembling hands.

A few sips were taken and then a gulp. She looked to Sayuri with watery red eyes. "Th-thank you. It's good."

"Does it make you feel warmer?" Sayuri saw her nod and she smiled. "Good." She sipped her own warm beverage, mind racing. _Police? Or hospital? Her arms and legs are covered in bandages._ Her gaze dropped to her own exposed forearms and she gently ran her fingertips over a series of fresh, deep scars. _She's so young. I don't want to believe these were from self-harm. They wouldn't have healed quickly enough for me to take them, either. Unless she has a healing quirk like I do._

Eri finished her hot chocolate and sat quietly, fidgeting with the cup. She looked even tinier now that she was wearing Sayuri's coat. The sleeves had been rolled up so her hands were free. She lifted her head so she could look at Sayuri now, her pale hair falling away from the horn that protruded from her right temple. "Sayuri…thank you."

"Of course. Teachers help people," she replied, smiling.

"No…you…don't understand."

"Hm?" Sayuri set her cup down and leaned closer, her lilac gaze meeting the girl's crimson one. "What is it, Eri-chan?"

"Eri. Here you are. I was looking everywhere for you."

The young woman jolted at the sound of a male voice to her left. She had failed to notice the young man approaching their table until he was directly beside her, speaking. "Ah. Oh, hello," she greeted the man.

Golden eyes narrowed down on her for a moment before he looked to Eri. "Hello. Thank you for taking care of Eri. She ran out of the house earlier and I've been looking for her all morning. She likes to play games. Don't you, Eri?"

Sayuri turned to regard the stranger and felt something peculiar about him. Something "off". He was around her age so she had trouble placing what exactly his relationship was to the girl. Unlike Eri, he was wearing a dark green winter coat over a black button-up shirt and pale tie. Over the lower half of his face, he was wearing a simple black medical mask as if he was trying to either avoid catching a cold or spreading the cold he already had.

"And you are…her older brother?" she attempted to guess.

"I'm her father." He turned his gaze from Eri to Sayuri and seemed to fixate on her forearms. "Those scars?"

"I took them from her. I found your daughter wandering alone in the street. No coat. No shoes. Not even a hat. What kind of father lets their child out of the house like that?" Sayuri's tone went from kind and warm to her stern teacher voice. "She could have gotten sick. And these scars-!"

"You took them from her?"

"I can take other people's injuries and give them to myself or other people. But these scars…aren't normal. Tell me what happened to her."

The man sighed through his mask and set a gloved hand on the table. Leaning down closer to her, he met her eyes directly. "She's accident prone. I'm doing the best I can to keep her out of trouble. But sometimes it isn't enough. Now, are you going to embarrass her or are you going to stop talking about it?"

Sayuri felt her face growing warm when he leaned down. The man's intense stare felt like a pressure coming down on her. She shook her head. "I'm a teacher. It's my job to worry about a kid's wellbeing."

"I'm her _father_. It's _my_ job to take care of her. If you're really that worried about her, why don't you pay us a home visit? I'm sure you'll find that I'm doing the best I can, raising her on my own." He turned toward Eri and gave a nod toward the exit. "I'm sure you want your coat back. Eri-"

"No. She can keep it. I don't want her to get sick."

"So we're on the same page now." He reached into his coat's inner pocket and drew out a business card. "Call to set up a home visit if you're still worried about her." The card was set in front of Sayuri and he led Eri out of the café.

_What was that just now?_ She looked down at the card and frowned. _Chisaki Kai?_ Sayuri was dragged out of her thoughts as a hand gripped her shoulder. Jolting, she looked up and found Dabi. "Oh. Sorry for making you wait. I just-"

"We need to talk." His eyes were narrowed on two figures on the sidewalk.

"What? Oh. Those two. I found that little girl wandering around so I was trying to help her. That man is her dad so she's fine now. Sorry I was gone for so long."

Dabi slid into the seat beside her and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "I don't like the way he was looking at you."

"He was looking at my arms," she tried to explain. "Here." She lifted her right arm for him to look at the deep scars she had acquired.

Looking them over for a moment, he seemed to become more annoyed. A warm fingertip traced over a particularly deep one, sending a shiver up her spine. "I don't like you taking other people's scars," he spoke quietly, bringing his lips to her ear. "I like it just between us. My own personal healer."

Sayuri's face went red, her heart pounding when she heard those words. Somehow, when Dabi said it that way, it seemed sensual. Like healing him was a private little bond that they shared alone, like it was nearly the same as sleeping together. When he touched her scars that matched his, it only solidified this idea.

"…we're in public…" she murmured, trying to make him lean away.

"So? Come on, I'm ready to have you all to myself again." He saw her eyes widen and smirked. His hand threaded into her snow-pale hair and drew her face close to his, forehead resting against hers. "Don't you wanna have some fun today?"

Her stomach did a flip and she gave a small, shy nod. Thoughts of what had occurred with the strange man and Eri were quickly being pushed away as Dabi drew rather flustering thoughts to the forefront of her mind. Sayuri let him lead the way back home, holding his hand and gladly traveling through the back alleys.

About halfway back to her apartment, he turned suddenly and pressed her against the cold brick side of a building. Warm hands held her hips, fingers slipping beneath the hem of her shirt, as his lips covered hers. Sayuri lifted her hands to weave her fingers into his messy dark hair, remembering how much he liked it when she touched his hair.

He lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, and smirked into the kiss. Keeping her pinned against the wall using his hips, he broke the kiss and leaned an arm above her head. Dabi's mouth moved along her cheek to her ear and gave a small, quick bite. "You want me, don't you?"

"Y-yes," she hesitantly replied, face burning with embarrassment.

"What're you gonna do to show how much you want me?" He was pleasantly surprised when Sayuri leaned down and kissed along his neck. The warm, scarred, discolored flesh of his neck was met with her gentle lips and drew a groan from him. "How do you know me so well?" Before it could go any further, he pulled away and set her down. "Come on. We'll finish this at home."


	6. Chapter 6

Sayuri knew her face was probably bright red. She kept her head bowed so her long, pale hair fell forward to try to hide it. Her teeth were sinking into her lower lip, attempting to keep herself from making a sound. She was always self-conscious about this. She swore the walls of the apartment were paper thin and the last thing she wanted was for her neighbors to get angry with her.

Hiding behind her hair only worked for a short while. Soon enough, fingers threaded into her snow-colored locks and her head was gently pulled back to show her expression. The warm hue of her cheeks, the luster of her pale purple eyes, the way she was biting her lip. It was all revealed to Dabi and the smirk he wore grew.

"I wonder how much more you can take. I don't wanna break you, but you look like you can handle a little more. What do you think, Sayuri?"

Her pulse quickened at the idea and before she could say anything in response, she felt it opening more. Stretched tight around three digits. His warm fingertips caressing and moving. Her hips bucked forward and she pressed her hands tighter against the countertop in her kitchen.

When the pace of his fingers grew faster, rougher, she finally lost her fight to stay quiet. Releasing her lower lip from between her teeth, Sayuri gasped his name and a string of begging words escaped after. She felt his warm breath against the side of her ear as he leaned down.

"You know, you'd make this easier if you'd let me in your room. Come on. Just be a good girl and let me in."

She shook her head, one of her hands lifting to cover her mouth when she began to pant. Sayuri felt his hips press against the back of hers and she barely managed to muffle a whimper. She could feel his need rubbing against her. It only elevated the pleasure racing through her veins with each push of his fingers.

"That's fine," he murmured, finally removing his fingers. They lingered over her belt for a brief moment before he opened it and slid her jeans down, taking her pink lace panties with them. The clicking of his own belt being opened made Sayuri tense. "A bed would've been better for this, but I can do it this way. You just might not walk for a while."

Her eyes widened as she felt him ease into her. Sayuri was pushed closer against the counter, the edge digging into the front of her waist as he was sheathed in her warmth. The hand still resting on the countertop was pressing against the hard surface so tightly that her fingertips were turning white.

Sayuri was already standing on the tips of her toes due to their height difference so each push of his hips lifted her up a little more. She bowed her head again, face burning from the blood that filled her cheeks. They had slept together before, but they never did something like this. It was always on the couch with Dabi on top. That was how she did it with her past boyfriends. When he told her that he wanted to try something different, she was unprepared for something like this.

He disliked her silence and determined that he would make her say his name again. Leaning down a little, he wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her in place and lifted his free hand to gently grip her neck. He pulled her head back so he could see her face again, his bright turquoise eyes taking in every inch of her blushing, sweet expression.

A grin tugged at his lips and he brought his mouth to her ear. "What's the matter, babe? You're being pretty quiet. I wanna hear your voice. You like this, right?"

She gave a small nod, but kept her mouth covered with one hand. Desperate to keep herself quiet and keep the neighbors from hearing her. Desperate to save herself the embarrassment. A moan slipped out as she felt his pace grow faster. What had been languid, casual thrusts of his hips grew intense.

"Put your hand down."

Sayuri was reluctant to obey, but did so. She was immediately rewarded with his lips covering hers. The warm metal of his staples pressed gently against the corners of her mouth as his lips parted and the tip of his tongue entered her mouth. Her sounds were muffled by him as he continued to move his hips against hers, hitting deeper than usual and causing a ball of pressure to begin building in her abdomen.

She whimpered into his mouth, both hands still planted on the counter in front of her as she fought a need that was growing. He had told her to keep her hands on the counter, but she wanted to touch him. She finally lost her inner battle and wrapped her arms around his neck behind her, fingertips digging into his hair.

Any self-control he had managed to use up to that point was shattered by her action. Dabi's pace quickened again and his lips left hers to move down to her neck, peppering it with sharp nips from his teeth and kisses. Leaving little marks where he pleased to show anyone that looked at her that she belonged to someone.

Sayuri murmured his name again and again as she started to unravel. The pressure built to a climax and euphoria crashed over her as it hit him at the same time. She felt the warmth of him enter her and she went limp in his hold, her own energy spent and her legs weak.

He panted beside her ear, the hand that had held her neck leaving so both of his arms wrapped around her waist to hold her up. The staples along his cheek scraped over her neck as he rested chin near her collar bone. "Can you stand?" There was a note of teasing in his voice when he asked this.

"I-I can't…" she admitted. Her legs were shaking, her knees feeling like they would give out if she put too much weight on them. Her hips hurt a little and she found herself worrying about going to work the next day. A small, semi-delirious sounding laugh escaped her and she shook her head. "That was…"

"The best you've had, right?"

To her embarrassment, he was absolutely right. No guy she had dated before had this kind of skill. No other guy had ever made her feel weak. No other guy could make her heart pound like this. No other guy took care of her afterwards the way that he did, either.

Sayuri was settled so she was sitting on the floor and watched him go into the bathroom. The water started running and she knew he was running a bath. He always did this. He always took care of her afterwards and more often than not, he wanted to hold her afterwards. Not just for a few minutes, but for so long that they usually dozed off together on the couch.

After getting cleaned up, she managed to stagger into her room for clean clothes and promptly collapsed onto the couch in the other room once she was dressed. In the afterglow of her intimate moment with Dabi, Sayuri was still too euphoric to think about the day's earlier events. All she wanted was to be held, but he was in the kitchen grabbing some things.

Sliding off the couch, she looked through her movie selection and settled on a horror movie. Something with moth monsters that she had picked up from a bargain bin a few years ago and only watched once. It seemed like something silly enough that they could enjoy it together.

The movie was set up and about to start playing when Sayuri felt arms wrap around her and lift her off the floor. She let Dabi settle her on top of him on the couch, her face flushing pink. He looked tired, but he still gave her a smirk when he caught her looking at him.

"What's that look for? You wanna go another round already?" he teased. To his surprise, Sayuri lifted a hand and gently traced her fingertips along the staples across his cheek. When she touched the damaged flesh on the lower half of his face, his eyes half-closed and he leaned into her touch.

She felt a shiver run down her spine as her fingertips carefully glided along the somewhat wrinkled, purplish skin. It felt warmer than the upper half of his face and she almost thought it felt feverish. The staples were warm as well.

He never told her why his skin was like that or if the staples were there for medical reasons or as a form of body modification, as she had initially thought. She was sure that the purplish skin was scarred though. Or burned. Sayuri occasionally saw him bleed where the purple flesh met his normal skin and it made her feel guilty. She wished that she could take away his scars, but they were too old for her to take. Whatever had caused them, it was too long ago.

Dabi grabbed her wrist after a while and brought it close to his face. His eyes were focused on her newer scars and he pressed his lips to one that ran across her wrist. "I don't like you taking other people's wounds," he murmured, lifting his gaze to hers.

Sayuri dropped her eyes to the scar near his collar bone and subconsciously touched her matching scar with her free hand. "I couldn't let that little girl suffer." It was a quiet protest and she was rewarded for it with a gentle bite to her wrist. Her back arched when his lips latched onto her pale skin and left behind a small bruise to cover the scar.

"So why'd you pick to be a teacher instead of a hero? You just think it's safer or something?"

She frowned and rested her head on his chest, trying to keep him from seeing her expression. Her left hand went to her right arm, touching an old scar from years past. A surgical scar from a terrible accident. "A hero…ruined heroes for me."

"Are you gonna tell me about it?"

"…I guess…" Sayuri cuddled a little closer and was glad when she felt both of his arms wrap around her. "I used to go to my best friend's house a lot…because she had a big house and siblings. I didn't have brothers or sisters so I liked going there and playing with them. But…when I was in my second year of junior high…"

**Shift P.O.V**

When he heard that a hero ruined heroes for her, he was not surprised. There were so many fake heroes. People that were heroes for the wrong reasons. Selfish, stupid reasons. Dabi just wanted to hear the rest of her story so he could know what kind of trash she had been dealing with.

Her voice was soft, sad. It was pretty clear that she had been different before the incident. It had affected her deeply. "My best friend's father…is a hero. He was training her youngest brother…trying to make his quirk stronger…and something happened to him. Her little brother broke his arm and…her father…wouldn't let me leave their house until I took his injury…"

Sayuri was rubbing at her right arm and it drew Dabi's attention to a faded scar that looked cleaner than any other scar. "It hurt. I'd never broken a bone before. When he finally let me leave, I told my parents and I swore I'd never go to that house again. But my parents told me that I should feel _honored_ that he wanted me to use my quirk to help his son."

"That's…pretty shitty."

"…that wasn't the end of it…" The girl wrapped her arms around his neck, hiding her face in the warm skin between his neck and shoulder. "He…wanted me to take more injuries from my friend's brother…over and over again. And every time, my parents acted like it was a _privilege_ for me to heal him. They told me that it was practice for when I became a hero. But I decided that if being a hero meant being forced to take injuries, I didn't want to do it."

Dabi frowned and ran his fingers through her pale hair, more for his own benefit than hers. His pulse started to quicken when she explained what happened to her and now it was making him angry. She was forced to take someone else's injuries. A hero had forced her to endure pain and take their brat's injuries for them.

"That guy wasn't a hero," he muttered, holding her tighter against him. The man she had mentioned, her best friend's father, was trash. A fake hero. A hypocrite. Dabi did not know what hero he was or what the man looked like, but he wanted to see him burn to ashes for putting Sayuri through so much pain.

"Why are you still friends with her? She was the reason you were there that day, right? Did she even say anything or did she just let her old man order you around like that?" His anger was growing and it was being directed at her friend now as well. Her so-called "best friend" who had scum for a father and let her be put through broken bones and wounds.

"Sh-she _tried_," Sayuri argued quietly. "But…he's her dad…"

"Doesn't matter. Pisses me off anyway." He turned his head to the side, looking at the television as he tried to push away certain thoughts. Certain urges. If he knew what hero she was talking about, he knew he would have to hunt them down and burn them alive. He wanted to ask who it was, but he had a feeling she would refuse to tell him.

_Probably better to just distract her_, he thought as he felt her shiver. Dabi ran his fingers through her long, snow-colored hair and felt the silky locks glide between his digits. Her body was soft and warm on top of him, her legs to either side of his left leg. It reminded him of the first night they spent together.

The movie continued to play and the two gradually fell into relaxation. They ate the snacks Dabi had brought from the kitchen and he waited until she was two beers in before popping the question. "So what hero was it?"

Sayuri frowned and dropped her gaze to the floor. Fidgeting with her beer can, she released a soft sigh. "It…it was Endeavor."


	7. Chapter 7

NeonHorizon: Okay. _I_ think Dabi is a Todoroki, but I just know that the second I specifically make a reference to that then Horikoshi's going to come out with a chapter that says he isn't. So I'm going to try to be really careful and kind of vague for a little while. Unless everyone's just okay with the Dabi is a Todoroki idea and want me to roll with it.

* * *

"I…want to learn how to cook." Sayuri averted her eyes and nervously toyed with a lock of pale hair that hung loose beside her face. "I know it sounds dumb, but I think…maybe…I should probably know how to cook, right?"

"You want to impress your boyfriend, don't you?" Fuyumi smiled and saw her friend nod. "What're you embarrassed about? That's normal!"

"Yeah, but I mean…it's embarrassing that I don't know how to cook a lot of stuff. I've been making boil in the bag curry and pan-fried chicken. And I don't even have much for cooking; I've got one pan for the stove and a big bowl for microwaving stuff."

The other woman pushed up her glasses and blinked in surprise. "Sayuri. That's pretty bad."

"I ordered more cookware online, okay? I'm just waiting for it to be delivered. But…can you show me how to make some meals?"

Fuyumi stared at her friend for a long moment, knife poised over the vegetables she had been chopping. "Um…sure? What do you want to make first? We can plan a list to get ingredients the next time we go shopping."

Sayuri felt bad about asking for help, but she wanted to impress Dabi. She hated that she had such a limited amount of meals she could make and she hated it even more that she had relied on getting food from restaurants so often. He never said anything about it, but she was pretty sure he wished she could cook more.

Right now, she was at the Todoroki house after helping Fuyumi carry her groceries home. _I'm…kind of pathetic_, she thought with a frown. Her friend was now listing off easy recipes they could try as Sayuri nodded in silent agreement. _I can't cook. I haven't really tried much before Dabi moved in._

"You can help me with dinner tonight, if you want. I'm making enough that you can take some home with you," Fuyumi offered.

"Thank you." Taking direction from her friend, Sayuri began slicing meat as Fuyumi continued chopping vegetables. She tried to make every piece the same thickness and size, but she was anxious about potentially slicing her fingers.

"So you mentioned something about finding a little girl on Sunday?"

"Right…" She frowned and paused in cutting. It had been a few days since the incident and she had found herself looking back on it every so often. Something had felt "off" about the scenario. The little girl had looked so frightened, even after her supposed father had come to get her. Not to mention that the scars Sayuri had taken from her were really strange and the pain that had come with them was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

"After you left, this little girl ran into me. She…wasn't wearing a coat or shoes. She had these bandages on her arms and legs, too. I took her back to the café and I tried to help her warm up. I wasn't sure if I should take her to the police or the hospital. She was alone and she looked really scared."

"How old was she?"

"She was around…five or six? Pretty young to be wandering around alone. So we were sitting there and this man came up to the table. He…said he was her father. He had been looking for her all morning, I guess. And he gave me his business card and said I could schedule a home visit if I'm concerned."

Fuyumi finished her work and turned to look at Sayuri. "_Are_ you concerned?"

She gave a small nod. Sayuri was hesitant to explain the rest to Fuyumi. The part about the fear in the girl's eyes and the scars she had taken. Without details, it seemed like it would just cause needless worry to another person.

"So call then. Set up a time to pay a home visit and make sure everything's okay. If you have a bad feeling, you should trust your gut."

"You're right."

"Now move over. I'll take care of the meat; you make your call."

Sayuri went to the dining room, where it was quiet and she had some privacy. There was a nervous twisting in her stomach as she made the call. She had gone on home visits before. She always brought a coworker with her and there had only been one time when she had needed to request that the child be removed from the home for their own safety.

"Who's this?" The phone was answered by an unfamiliar male voice.

"Hello. My name is Naosu Sayuri. I'm calling for…Chisaki Kai. About setting up a home visit for his daughter Eri." She felt her face turning pink as she spoke. Sayuri always disliked making phone calls to strangers.

"Oh! Yeah, he mentioned someone like that. Sure; let's set up a time and date." There was a sound of pen on paper.

A visit was scheduled for that Saturday, in the evening. Sayuri made a mental note to ask a coworker to accompany her. It was just standard to not go alone. For legal reasons as well as safety.

Sayuri opened the door to return to the kitchen and jolted when she nearly bumped into Fuyumi's youngest brother. "Ah…hello, Shouto-kun."

He simply stared for a moment. "Hello. I didn't know you were here."

"Fuyumi's teaching me how to cook something so…"

An unfortunate, awkward silence fell between them. The boy eventually gave a nod and continued on his way to his room. Sayuri glanced after him and frowned. Despite visiting frequently when she was younger, she was never close with the youngest Todoroki. She could talk to Natsuo and Fuyumi, but not Shouto or their father. Their mother had seemed alright, for a while.

_Fuyumi's oldest brother…what happened to him? She never told me. He just…wasn't here one day. No one said anything, though. It was…Touya, right?_ Sayuri tried to remember him as she walked back to the kitchen. He had been a little older than her and she remembered that he treated her kindly. Even though he was often injured or sick. He never asked her to take his injuries.

She stepped into the kitchen and her frown deepened. Fuyumi was missing, but the food had been put on the stove to start cooking. Not wanting to feel useless, Sayuri began to absently stir the pieces of meat that were simmering in sauce. Her attention was on the stove so when she heard approaching footsteps, she assumed it was just Fuyumi or Shouto.

**Shift P.O.V**

Dabi tossed some pellets into the cage and watched the rats eat for a while. Something about watching them take a pellet into their tiny paws and nibble away at it brought him a weird sense of calm. He smiled faintly, leaning in closer as the larger one paused in eating and looked up at him.

"I'm going out." He stood and stretched a little. Most of the day had been spent lounging around the apartment, trying to resist a certain urge. That urge steadily grew, though, until he had no choice but to indulge himself.

Over the past few days, he had thought about what Sayuri said. The story she told him about a hero forcing her to take a broken arm for his kid. That entitled parent. That entitled hero. Just thinking about it filled Dabi with so much hatred that he felt physically sick to his stomach.

He put on a hooded jacket and let himself out of the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him. It was past the time when Sayuri would normally return home from work, but he had a good idea of where she was. With her best friend Fuyumi. Fuyumi, who let her father force an injury on Sayuri when she was just a kid. Fuyumi, who was monopolizing Sayuri's free time.

It was annoying. Every time he thought about it, it just filled him with disgust. Her so-called "best friend" had let something like that happen to her. He had trouble understanding why Sayuri was still so close with her.

The wind outside was freezing and there was still light snow swirling in the air. Dabi tucked his hands into his pockets and moved through the alleys whenever he could in order to avoid the wind. His thoughts briefly flitted to the apartment. To the idea of a warm bath when he went home. If Sayuri was back, he might try to convince her to join him.

The streets were moderately empty. With it being so cold, no one really wanted to be out for too long. He saw high school aged kids traveling in little groups, people rushing home from work or shopping. Mundane. Ordinary people with ordinary little goals and boring, ordinary lives where they relied on heroes to make sure that their lives stayed that way.

While fighting the urge to do this, Dabi had done a little planning in case he wanted to give in and do it. He knew where he was going. He had a loose idea of who he might encounter if things went sour. So when he found himself standing down the street from the Todoroki house, he knew that most of the residents were most likely home.

Natsuo. Shouto. And the disgusting creep that had damaged Sayuri. If Dabi was right, then Fuyumi would be out with Sayuri at this time. The other three would be home, based on the time of day and the normal working hours of a hero agency.

_If I burn it to the ground, I wonder if they'd all scream._ He tilted his head, a grin drawing his lips back. _He's got flames, too, but they're nowhere near as hot as mine. I'd like to see him burn down to a pile of ashes, but the wind would pick him up and spread him around. That'd be…pretty gross. Like fertilizer._

Leaning against the tall wall behind him that served as a divider between someone's home and the street, Dabi settled in to observe the house. He stared at it intently, almost wishing that Endeavor would come out and confront him. If he did, then he would soon find himself being engulfed by blue flames.

As he stood there, waiting and watching, he thought about Sayuri. He thought about the scar on her arm from where they had repaired her broken limb when she was younger. It had been bothering him for a while. It was familiar, but he never told her that. The story itself sounded like something he had heard of before, or something that happened in his own life.

Tugging his hood forward more, he had to wonder how much more innocent she might be if it had never happened. If Endeavor had not forced her to use her quirk for his child's benefit. _Using her like a personal first aid kit. It pisses me off. Sayuri's too nice to be mad, but I'm not gonna let it slide._

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri continued to stir the meat in the sauce, but began to become aware of a stare directed at her. Goose bumps rose on her arms, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She wanted to speak, but she was nauseatingly afraid.

Finally, the owner of the stare spoke. "Oh. It's _you_."

She felt like her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Flashes of memories came to her. Her arm being grabbed and her being dragged to a room. Being shoved toward a crying, younger Shouto whose arm had snapped. There was bone showing, blood pooling on the floor and mixing with the tears that ran down the kid's face. A booming voice shouting at Sayuri and demanding that she fix Shouto's arm. Threatening to keep her in that room until she obeyed.

The memories made her start to tremble and she lowered her head. _I want to leave. I want to run out of the room, but he's right there. I don't want to look at him. I'm…afraid. I'm afraid to move, even if I want to._

Behind her, the fridge opened and closed as Fuyumi's father got something. There was a pause as he looked at her again and then the sound of footsteps told her that he had left the room. Sayuri remained frozen in place, though. Even as the sauce in the pan simmered loudly and the meat began to overcook.

When Fuyumi returned to the room, she seemed to immediately know what had happened. "I'm sorry! Sayuri, he was supposed to have something after work so I thought it would be okay! I'm sorry!"

"I…I can't stay here. I'm sorry, Fuyumi. I have to go home." She turned quickly and grabbed her jacket. Without even pausing to put it on, Sayuri sprinted out of the house and down the street. Running until the house was no longer visible.

She finally stopped and paused to rest in a narrow alley between a coffee shop and a book store. Trying to catch her breath, Sayuri felt tears burning at the corners of her eyes from remembering the incident in such detail. It was one thing when she talked about it to Dabi, but reliving it in her mind was too much.

The young woman wiped at her eyes, hating how weak she felt in this moment, and nearly screamed when she felt arms slide around her waist from behind. Before she could even begin to thrash, she felt the scrape of warm metal over the side of her ear and cheek. A chin rested on her shoulder and the patchwork hands that rested on her hips drew her back against Dabi.

"Caught you," he murmured in a soft taunt. "What's the matter? You look…pretty upset."

Sayuri let him turn her around and rested her forehead against his chest. "I…I went to my friend's house and…her dad came home early."

Fingers gently slid through her long, snow-pale hair. "You're that afraid of him, huh?" He felt her nod against him. "I'm here now. I'm not gonna let him anywhere near you."

She basked in the warmth radiating off of him, letting it comfort her. "I'm sorry. I'm…I'm a coward, aren't I? I let my own quirk traumatize me."

"Nah. You didn't do anything. A fake hero did." He drew away, but took her hand and flashed her a somewhat mischievous grin. "Come on. It's freezing out here, right? I know what'll cheer you up."


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Naosu? Do you have a minute?"

Sayuri had been tidying up her classroom during her lunch break and looked up to find a male teacher. He was around her age and was actually quirk-less, but he was one of the nicest teachers in the school. "Namimoto? What is it?"

He looked distraught; mouth set in a deep frown and his eyebrows furrowed. Entering the classroom, he began to tidy up as well. As if to make up for what he was about to say. "The thing is…I can't make it to that home visit. I know it's super short notice, but Minami asked me out and I'll need to get ready for my date so I won't have enough time. I'm really sorry!"

She tried to mask the disappointment that was now causing her heart to sink. "Ah…that's fine. Don't worry about it too much, Namimoto. I can just call and reschedule. It's fine."

"Are you sure? Look, I can cancel if-"

"No way! You've wanted to go out with Minami for a while and I don't want you to risk missing out. It's fine. Seriously. Anyway, I'll just call and…ask to reschedule. You can go with me then and you can make it up to me by getting me a coffee," she assured him, smiling.

Relief crossed his face and he smiled back at her. "Thanks, Naosu."

Her colleague helped her finish tidying up the crafts her class had been working on and then went off to his own classroom down the hallway. Sayuri slouched at her desk, ignoring the smears of paint on her hands and the glitter in her hair. _I…really wanted to check on Eri, though._

After making the appointment for a home visit, Sayuri had started thinking about it more and more. The fearful way Eri acted, the bandages, the strange wounds, and the girl's father. Germophobic or sickly, she was unsure. The mask and gloves were odd considering that his own child was barefoot and did not even have a coat. He struck her as an entitled sort of person just from their brief interaction.

Her class returned from lunch and more messes were made, but Sayuri loved seeing what sort of creations the kids could come up with. One of the things she loved most about teaching was that the children were too young to have their hopes and dreams crushed by the world. Their imagination was rich and their hearts were full of love and hope. It was interesting to hear their ideas and see them form friendships.

She was thinking about the past as she left work that day. Back to the day she met Fuyumi. People had mistakenly thought they were related at first due to their similar hair color. That was how they even noticed each other, but then they started talking about their likes and dislikes and their quirks. Her friendship with Fuyumi was what got her through the roughest parts of her life. It was a stronger relationship than she had ever had with a guy. A solid, dependable friendship.

_Relationship…_Sayuri felt her cheeks starting to heat up with a blush and she had to smile. She could imagine exactly what Dabi was doing at that moment. _He's probably napping on the couch._ _Almost every time I come home, he's on the couch asleep. I don't know what he does during the day._

Her steps slowed a little and she frowned. _I actually don't know much about him. I don't know if "Dabi" is his first name or last name. I don't know his birthday or blood type. Or anything about his past. _This realization left her feeling even colder than the winter wind that blew around her.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. Her heart leapt into her throat, half-expecting it to be Dabi until she remembered that he never really called her. Sure enough, it was Fuyumi's name on the screen. "Hi, Fuyumi."

"Sayuri! You have your home visit soon, right? I wanted to wish you good luck!" The other woman's voice was warm and cheerful.

"Oh…thanks, but…I actually need to reschedule. Namimoto has a date tonight so he can't go with me."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I'd offer to go with you, but-"

"I-it's okay. Really. I understand; you have some family…things to do." Sayuri bowed her head, trying not to let it bother her.

There was a little moment of silence before Fuyumi spoke again. "So Valentine's Day is coming up. Do you want to come over tomorrow and make some chocolates for your boyfriend? My father won't be here; I made sure of it."

"Um…can I get back to you on that?"

"Sure. Just think it over, okay?" Fuyumi was quiet for a moment again before breaking the silence. "Oh! Maybe we could go get a drink somewhere. We could talk about what you want to make."

Sayuri was starting to feel more than a little weighed down now. She trudged to her apartment once her call was over. To her disappointment, Dabi was gone. His coat was gone as well so she was sure he would be out for a while.

Grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge, along with a bag of chips, Sayuri made her way to her bedroom and closed the door behind her. She sprawled on the thick comforter and sighed in defeat. _This day just isn't going the way I wanted. At all! I would have thought Dabi would at least be home._

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and wanted to call him, but hesitated. _I don't want to bother him, though. What if he's busy?_ Sayuri opened her beer bottle and took a long drink. The bitter aftertaste made her frown a little, but it reminded her of the beer she and Dabi had the first night they spent together. _He probably won't be out late. Besides, I need to call to reschedule the home visit._

The bottle was finished and Sayuri dialed the phone number on the card she had been given. "Hello. This is Naosu Sayuri. I…had scheduled a home visit for today…" She toyed with a stray lock of her hair as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the ceiling as she lounged on her bed.

"Naosu? Oh, right. You're meeting's in a couple hours."

"Ah…I actually need to reschedule. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." There was a long pause and, for a moment, she thought they might have gone.

"Hang on. Let me get him on the phone."

"I…really would like to reschedule the home visit," she started. "If I could-"

"Naosu. I was told that you want to cancel your visit tonight."

Sayuri nervously ran her fingers along a strand of her hair, frowning. She recognized the cold tone of this voice. The little girl's father. Chisaki Kai. Closing her eyes, she pushed herself onward. "Yes. I'm very sorry, but I need to reschedule. My colleague…had something come up so he won't be able to go with me for the home visit."

There was a brief pause now before he spoke again. "I expected you to come alone. Why do you need a second person for a home visit? Do you…suspect something?"

"No. Chisaki-san…it's just standard procedure for two people to go. It's for safety and legal reasons-"

"I see." There was a disappointed sigh from the man. "I thought you were concerned with Eri's home situation. I was sure you were a dedicated teacher, but I guess I was wrong about you. It's fine. Eri's mother turned her back on her so I'm sure this won't come as much of a surprise to her."

**Shift P.O.V**

Brilliant blue flames lit the alley almost like sunlight. The intense heat singed the bricks on either side. Ashes filled the air as the lifeless bodies of his opponents crumbled in on themselves. The smell of burned meat was strong, the smoke thick enough to choke anyone downwind.

A smirk curled his mouth as he watched the flames dance on the cold wind. Dabi tried to imagine what Sayuri would think if she saw his flames. He had only told her about his quirk; he had never showed her. She seemed pretty impressed, though. He was sure that if she saw them in person, she would be amazed.

He felt a warm trickle down his arm, beneath his sleeve, and his smirk fell. Pushing up the sleeve of his coat, he found a gash running across his upper arm. Watching a bead of blood slowly run down his arm, he released a frustrated sound and knew he had to find some bandages before he went back to Sayuri's apartment.

Checking the time, his frustration grew. It was well past the time she got off work. Dabi had planned to be back before she got home, but she would have been back for at least half an hour at this point.

_I can't let her see this scratch. She'll want to take it from me._ He turned away from the blazing remains of the idiots that had dared to try jumping him and licked his lips. _Where am I gonna find bandages? And how am I gonna hide this? She'll see as soon as I take off my coat._

He let the cold winter breeze caress his face as he walked against it, trying to stay upwind of the ashes and smoke. This injury definitely complicated things. If he wanted to hide it from her, he would need to keep his distance. No cuddling unless he was wearing his coat or hoodie. Definitely no sleeping together without at least wearing a shirt.

His fingers ran through his hair and looked over his shoulder at the fire once more. Dabi could feel the warmth even at this distance and a slight smirk took form again. _Maybe I should just let her do her thing. Or I could find someone else for her to give this cut to. She said she can do that, right?_

As he approached her apartment building, Dabi spotted Sayuri emerging from their door and hurrying off down the sidewalk. He tilted his head and proceeded into an alley to cut her off. When she went to pass by, his left hand darted out and he pulled her into the alley.

Sayuri had a faint bitter scent suggesting she had been drinking beer. Her lilac eyes were wide and wet. As if she had been crying. The young woman stared up at Dabi, her back pressed against the cold wall of the building, and it seemed to take her a moment to register who he was. "Dabi…where were you?"

His eyes narrowed, trying to determine if this was some trick of the light. Her snow-pale hair actually looked like it was shimmering. Like it was really made of delicate ice crystals. He was fairly sure this was abnormal for her. Nonetheless, he lifted a hand and threaded his fingers into the pale, glittering locks.

"I had stuff to do. What? You really missed me that much, babe?" He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, letting the metal of his staples gently scrape over her skin. Dabi felt her shiver, but her back arched and pushed her a little closer to him. "Were you looking for me?" he teased.

"I…had an appointment. It was a home visit. For the little girl I helped." Sayuri's voice sounded strained and she looked worried when Dabi leaned back a little. "My coworker said he couldn't go…but I can't let that little girl down, Dabi!"

"Hey. Calm down. Look at me." He cupped her cheek with one hand, lifting her face to put her nose just inches from his. He half-grinned down at her, taking a step closer and pinning her hips back against the wall with his own. "What're you worried about? You want me to go take care of the kid's dad?"

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri had two more bottles of beer before dashing out into the cold evening without a coat. She had tried to negotiate a new day for the home visit, but Chisaki kept bringing up how disappointed Eri would be. How Eri was abandoned by her mother so this would just be another disappointment to the little girl.

The idea that she might have hurt Eri by not showing up wounded her. Sayuri's own parents had disowned her so she knew how painful it was to be turned away by someone she should have been able to trust. In a moment of slightly fatigued, slightly intoxicated, determination she had set off to do the home visit herself and make sure Eri was safe.

It was a silly plan. She was realizing that as she stared up into Dabi's turquoise eyes. Remembering his question, she shook her head. "No…sorry. Um. Where were you? I got home and you weren't there."

He appeared sheepish for just a second before smirking down at her. "I had stuff to do. I'm free now. What? You wanna go out or something?"

"Go out…?" Her eyes widened and Sayuri checked her phone. She swore quietly and gave Dabi a quick hug. "Sorry! Fuyumi…actually asked if I wanted to go out tonight so I have to get going! Ah…I've got tomorrow off so…maybe we can do something then?"

Dabi frowned and tugged at his sleeve a little, his arm moving behind him a bit. "You're coming home, right?"

"O-of course! I'll probably be home in a couple of hours." Sayuri tried to get out to the street, but stumbled and Dabi had to grab her arm to steady her. She leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy._ I…think I drank too quickly._

"You're not going out tonight. _Lightweight_. Come on." Dabi wrapped an arm around her, making her lean against his side for support. He guided her out of the alley and toward their apartment, his mouth set in a straight line.

Moving only seemed to make the alcohol hit her harder. Sayuri relied completely on Dabi to get the door unlocked and had to close her eyes to keep herself from getting nauseous from the dizziness. When she felt him half-carrying her across the main room, she was only vaguely aware of where he was taking her. "D-Dabi, wait…"

"What's the big deal? It's just a bedroom, right?" The door clicked open and was pushed open wide.


	9. Chapter 9

_What is this?_ Dabi took one step into Sayuri's bedroom and had to pause and stare in confusion. Right above her bed, there was a poster proudly displayed on the wall. It was framed, which meant that it must be extremely important to her.

If it was a family photo, he might understand framing it, but this was a poster of a hero. A male hero that looked like he was in his late twenties. He had shaggy, dark violet hair that hung to his shoulders and pale blue eyes. Posing with his fists in front of him like he had just punched them together, smiling like he was trying to hold back laughter.

The name Calorie Bomb was in big letters above the hero's head and there was a messy signature near his right foot. Not only did Sayuri have a framed poster of this hero, but she was enough of a fan that it was actually autographed and there was a personal message scrawled near the corner of the poster. This was probably the real reason why Sayuri had refused to let Dabi into her room; this was beyond embarrassing.

_Calorie Bomb, huh?_ His eyes narrowed as he stared up at the poster. Turning his head, he saw Sayuri's face burning pink with a blush. _Whatever. She never talks about him so he's probably just a crush. That's…pretty lame._

The young woman let him lead her over to the bed and she flopped onto her back, pale hair fanning out over the patchwork quilt. She rubbed at her face, sighing in a mix of exhaustion and obvious frustration. "I…let that girl down," she mumbled. "How can I call myself a good teacher when I can't even do a home visit?"

Dabi was staring at the poster again and now he was beginning to wonder if her embarrassment was not over the almost cringey hero poster she had over her bed. "You really wanna go?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I want her to be safe, but…dealing with parents…is hard sometimes." She uncovered her face and closed both eyes, stretching her arms over her head. Her t-shirt slipped up a little, uncovering faded scars that momentarily gripped his attention before he looked away.

He had expected a little more to her room, since she had been so adamant about keeping him out. It seemed mostly, disappointingly, normal. A bed big enough for two, a dresser, a small closet, and a bookshelf. There was a collection of cat plush toys on top of the dresser, but that was pretty much expected. The only things that really seemed interesting were the hero poster and the quilt Sayuri was currently lying on.

It looked pretty old and handmade. A few patches were fraying and faded, but this thing almost seemed like a family heirloom. There were so many different patches that he failed to see any two that looked to be the same.

Dabi sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingertips over the quilt, feeling the wide variety of different textures. "Don't think about it. Not like there's anything you can do now anyway."

"I just…wanted to make sure she was okay. You don't know what it felt like." Sayuri opened watery lilac eyes and stared up at Dabi, her hands subconsciously rubbing at the scars that riddled her forearms. The scars she had taken from that little girl. "These just didn't feel normal. I can't explain it…but I know a kid shouldn't have to feel what these felt like."

"It's late. There's…seriously nothing you can do about it tonight." He moved and leaned down over her, his left knee slipping between her thighs and one hand threading into her pale hair. His thumb gently wiped away a tear from beneath her right eye and he smirked when her face started to turn red. "Need a distraction? I can take your mind off that teacher stuff for the night."

A few hours later, once he was sure Sayuri was asleep, he sat up in bed and frowned. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to push away the jealousy that was starting to bubble up. She let him distract her. They had a good time and Dabi felt satisfied afterwards, but the fact that there was a hero poster hanging over them the entire time started to bother him.

Whoever Calorie Bomb was, whatever he was to Sayuri, she had never mentioned him. So, by that reasoning, Dabi should have nothing to worry about. Not to mention how much she liked him. If she was involved with that hero, Dabi obviously meant more to her than he did.

Of course, he still felt jealous. A little bitter. Not just about this hero, but about the man she was supposed to meet with that day for the home visit. Dabi could not shake the feeling that the man wanted something from her. Having never talked to the guy himself, he was unable to pinpoint what it was for certain, but he had his theories.

For one, Sayuri was pretty. Everything about her looked so clean, pure, beautiful. He loved the way she looked. Secondly, she was innocent. She trusted easily and she was a little naïve. Again, these were things he loved about her; she was easy for him to tease and fluster. Thirdly, her quirk was powerful, useful, and rare. Healing quirks were hard to come across and hers was amazing.

The idea that someone might want to take her away from him, for any of these reasons, pissed him off. Despite not knowing the man, Dabi had the strong desire to burn him alive. He added the nameless guy to his growing list, right beneath Endeavor and above her male coworker.

Falling onto his back beside Sayuri, he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep. Her bed was much more comfortable than the couch he had been sleeping on, even if there was an unsettling poster of a hero hanging over them. Dabi half-grinned to himself and turned onto his side, sliding an arm around Sayuri's waist to pull her against his chest. _I'm not going back to that couch after tonight. You're stuck with me now, babe._

**Shift P.O.V**

When she first woke up, it took a moment for Sayuri to recall the previous night's events. She remembered calling to reschedule the home visit and she vividly remembered Eri's father expressing his disappointment. From there, it was a little fuzzy. When the details did return to her, as she woke up more and more, her eyes went wide and she jolted upright in bed.

Heat filled her face as she stared down at the man sleeping next to her, memories of the previous night filling her head. Sayuri ran her fingers through her pale hair, pieces of glitter sprinkling the sheets beneath her and making her frown. Leaning close to him, she tilted her head studied his expression.

Sayuri's frown deepened as she examined his burns and the staples that looked like they were holding his skin together. She had seen him bleed from the edges of his burns. Not a lot, but just enough that it was noticeable. It hurt her to see that because she knew that was something he would never let her take from him. Since it was an old wound reopening, she was unsure if it was even possible.

Her eyes fell upon something she could fix, however. A gash on his upper left arm. Not too deep, but there was a decent amount of dried blood around it. The wound was just fresh enough for her to take and it stung quite a bit.

He remained asleep so, with a small half-grin, Sayuri gently ran her fingers through his dark fluffy hair. His lips twitched a little, but he did not wake up. Her eyes lowered and the young woman found herself marveling, not for the first time, at how he was built.

She was unable to stop herself from tracing her fingertips along where burns met pale, peachy flesh. Skimming over the warm metal of staples. The feeling of the metal sent a shiver along her spine and she leaned down to kiss his cheek.

It was a Sunday so she had the day off. Since this was the first time they had slept in her room together, she wanted to do something to make it special. Sayuri got dressed as quietly as possible, bandage her new wound, and decided to slip out of the apartment to get something nice for breakfast.

She was in a bakery, looking at delicious baked goods, when her phone started ringing. Seeing Fuyumi's name on the screen, she frowned and felt guilt settle in. "Fuyumi…sorry about last night. Something came up and…I couldn't meet up with you. I'm sorry-!"

"No, no! I understand! You were with your boyfriend, right? It's fine, Sayuri! You don't need to apologize!" Fuyumi's tone changed to cheerful quickly when she continued. "Actually, do you want to come over? He's not home today and he won't be back until tonight. I thought we could make our Valentine's Day chocolates."

Her eyes widened and she grinned. Bowing her head, toying with a lock of snow-pale hair, she considered the offer. There was the fear that came with going to the Todoroki house, but there was also the excitement of making something special for Dabi for Valentine's Day.

"He'll be gone all day…right?" she asked, still a little wary.

"Yes! I promise! Um…well…Natsuo and Shouto will be here, but _he_ won't be. I promise!"

Sayuri nodded to herself. "Okay…but I can't come over right away. I'm shopping and...ah…" She felt her face starting to turn pink as she struggled to figure out how to say she had Dabi waiting for her at home.

"Oh! R-right! Sorry! Your boyfriend-!"

"W-we're just eating breakfast together! It's…not like what you're thinking, Fuyumi. Do you need anything from the store?"

Sayuri grabbed some muffins for herself and Dabi before actually going to the supermarket to get what Fuyumi said they needed for the chocolates. _What kind would Dabi want, though? He never really said what kind of chocolate he likes and there are so many different ways to make these. Dark, milk, white? And if I make it dark, how dark is too dark? Does he like sweet, sweet and salty, or bittersweet?_

She was so busy thinking about chocolate that when it finally registered that her phone was ringing again, she almost dropped it in her haste to answer. "Ah! Yes? Naosu Sayuri speaking!" Her voice was just a little too loud when she answered since she was in a panic.

There was a pause before the caller spoke. "Naosu. This is Chisaki Kai."

Her grip tightened on the phone as she remembered their discussion yesterday. "Ah…good morning, Chisaki-san. Is there…something that I can help you with?" It was certainly odd to hear from him, especially with him talking to her as if the previous day's verbal altercation had never happened.

"I want to reschedule the home visit," he started. "I realize that I may have come across as harsh yesterday, but you need to understand how I saw it. Eri's mother left her and she was looking forward to the home visit. Now try to imagine breaking it to her that you had to cancel. As a single parent, it's difficult to make a child understand that they're not just being abandoned again. I might have lost my patience due to frustration. You understand, don't you? I'm sure you've worked with single parents and their children before."

Relief washed over her. Partially because she had half-worried she might have said something offensive in her intoxicated state. Single parent frustration was definitely something she could understand; she had plenty of single parents that enrolled their children in her kindergarten class. Raising a child alone seemed incredibly difficult and she had been snapped at a number of times by impatient parents, but they always apologized and she always forgave them.

"Y-yes. Yes, I understand. Ah…well, I'm relieved to hear that you'll still agree to a home visit. I'm sorry if I came across as unprofessional, but it really is standard procedure for a teacher to bring a colleague for home visits and my colleague had to cancel because he-"

"I wanted to discuss that with you," he interrupted, his tone a bit commanding now.

"You…did? Ah. If there's a problem…I can request a female colleague-"

"No. If possible, I think it would be better if you came alone. Eri is extremely shy. You saw that firsthand. She gets…_uncomfortable_ around strangers, but she's already formed a bond with you. I think it would be easier on her if you came alone for the home visit."

It was against what teachers normally did, but it was not unheard of for teachers to make exceptions for special cases like this. Sayuri had to consider this very carefully before making a decision. Of course, she wanted to make Eri feel comfortable. Above all else, she wanted what was best for the little girl.

"Which day would work best for you, Chisaki-san?" As she spoke, she felt her stomach doing odd flips. _I don't have anything to be nervous about. A single father…just trying to make his daughter feel safe. I'll do a quick home visit just to make sure that everything is fine and I'll bring my phone with me._

When she entered her apartment, she found her bedroom door open and Dabi just sitting up in bed. He blinked at her sleepily and a slow half-grin began to take form. His left hand lifted and he beckoned to her without a word.

Sayuri's pulse quickened at the sight of him sitting there in her bed, his chest exposed and the blanket settled just at his waistline. The young woman left her bags in the kitchen and went to sit on the edge of the bed, shyly looking at Dabi. "I got muffins. I didn't know what kind you like so-"

A hand went to the back of her neck and she was pulled to him, her lips meeting his. He fell onto his back, bringing her down with him so she was on top of him, and wrapped an arm around her waist. When the kiss broke, he smirked up at her and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm not leaving this bed again."


	10. Chapter 10

Valentine's Day night. Sayuri was hurrying home, her heart pounding with excitement. She had never made chocolates for a guy before. Usually she would just hang out with Fuyumi on Valentine's Day so they would buy chocolate for themselves, get dinner somewhere, and watch a movie. This was the first year she was giving a gift to a guy on Valentine's Day.

She had made the sweets at the Todoroki house, with Fuyumi's help. They turned out pretty well for a first attempt, but there were way more than she had expected to make. She decided that the extra chocolate might be a nice gift for Eri and her father when she went for the home visit. A small gesture of apology for having to cancel before.

_What time is it?_ The young woman checked her phone and frowned. Since she wanted it to surprise Dabi, she had left the chocolates at the Todoroki house and planned to pick them up after work. This would have been fine if her male coworker had not approached her to discuss an upcoming craft project in detail.

By the time she got to the Todoroki house, Endeavor was home. Sayuri had to wait outside for Fuyumi to bring the chocolates out to her and tried to assure her that it was fine. Even though the thought of facing Endeavor made Sayuri's stomach clench with fear.

Now she was running down the sidewalk at a full sprint in her haste to get to her apartment to give Dabi his chocolate. It was starting to feel like the universe was completely against her. Especially when she came to the shopping area. Her heart sank as she had to slow her pace and carefully weave around the other pedestrians on the sidewalk, all while avoiding tumbling into the street and getting flattened by a car.

When her phone started to ring, she had to slow down even more as she tried to maneuver it from her pocket. "Naosu Sayuri speaking."

"Hey. Where are you?"

Her pulse skipped a beat at the sound of Dabi's voice and she tried to speed walk. "I-I'm still on my way home. My coworker Namimoto wanted to talk to me about something…I'm just running a little bit late. Sorry. Can you feed the rats?"

About ten seconds passed before his reply came. "Can't. I'm out. I'm gonna be out for a while. At least an hour, maybe two. I'll see you when I get back."

"Oh…okay." Sayuri glanced down at her bag and frowned. Her pace slowed and it felt like her heart was sinking. "That's fine. I'll see you when you get home."

Her shoulders drooped and her fingers ran through her long, snowy hair. _An hour or two. Why? What does he do when I'm at work? _Sayuri paused in her steps and released a sigh. _It'll be okay. He's not even going to be gone for that long. I just…really wanted to see his face when I gave him these._

Since he was going to be out, she decided to pick up some snacks and drinks. Sayuri ventured into a store that sold games as well as junk food and a wide variety of sodas. It was as she was picking out drinks that her attention was drawn to a figure at the counter.

"Sorry, but we're sold out," the clerk was trying to explain.

"That's stupid. It's only been out for three days. Why wouldn't you have more copies? I shouldn't have to preorder it," the customer in the black hooded sweatshirt and matching black sweatpants seethed. They lowered their head and drew a hand from their sweatshirt pocket, letting it hang at their side. "You have more in the back, don't you? Just give me someone else's preorder and tell them it got lost. If you're getting another shipment, why should it even matter?"

Sayuri was not a gamer. She occasionally played simple games meant for killing time, but she was far from an avid gamer. She struggled to understand why this man was so angry over a game.

"Listen. We can't do that. It's against store policy and it's not fair to people that preordered the game. Unless you're going to _buy_ something, I'll have to ask you to leave." The clerk sounded smug, almost taunting.

The young woman saw the man at the counter turn and she quickly looked away. Facing the soda selection, she heard him mutter "fine" before footsteps approached her side. She tensed, half-afraid that he would yell at her for staring.

Instead, he nudged the toe of his shoe against her ankle and scowled when she looked his way. Pale blue, unkempt hair was falling over his face beneath the hood and narrowed red eyes glared down at her. "Go ask them for *game title*."

Sayuri stared back at this person for a long moment. The skin around his eyes was dry and irritated in appearance; it looked itchy. His lips were chapped as well. Chapped to the point of being cracked open and bloody. _Is this guy…okay? That looks painful. _She tilted her head and looked from him to the clerk.

"Hey! Look, dude, don't harass the other customers! Just because you're lonely on Valentine's Day, it doesn't mean you can take it out on everybody else!"

The man in front of her scowled and looked over his shoulder at the clerk, a hand lifting to scratch at his neck within his hood. A moment passed before he turned back to Sayuri and then walked around her, out of the store. He paused in front of the shop, looked both ways, and turned left.

She glanced toward the clerk and then trotted after the stranger. _That skin looks really painful_, she thought with a frown. _I can't fix it all, but I can probably help a little bit._ Seeing him up ahead, she quickened her pace. "Excuse me! Can I…?"

He turned to her with a glare. "What? You didn't get the game so you're-"

"No, I mean…your lips hurt, right? I can heal them." Sayuri saw him blink in surprise and she lifted a hand. "I can take other people's injuries. If you want, I can take those cuts off of your lips so they won't hurt anymore."

Leaning down, he appeared skeptical. "You're a healer?"

**Shift P.O.V**

Sometimes, Dabi wondered if Sayuri might be a little too naïve. It was fine if she was placing trust in him, but when it came to other people, he felt slightly concerned. For instance her coworker Namimoto. To Dabi, it was clear that the guy had a crush on her. He could tell from how often the guy sent her messages on Sundays and how often Sayuri mentioned talking to Namimoto at school.

She had said before that her male coworker had a date with another teacher at their school, but Dabi could see through the trick. He was sure the man probably knew how pure and trusting Sayuri was and he was planning to take advantage of her. This was not something that Dabi could allow.

Staring at the man walking ahead of him down the alley, the villain smirked. "It's Namimoto, right?" He locked eyes with the man as he turned around and Dabi continued his leisurely pace. "You're a teacher."

"How do you know my name? Have we met?"

"Nah. I just wanna give you something." He grabbed the front of the man's shirt and lifted him, shoving Namimoto against the brick wall. His smirk grew as he watched the man squirm. "You don't even have a quirk, do you? Too bad. I usually like a challenge."

"What do you want from me?! Here's my wallet! Just…just let me go!"

A wallet was tossed at Dabi's feet and he lifted his free hand. "This isn't about money." A vibrant blue flame flickered in his palm and he shoved his hand over the man's open mouth.

The burning corpse was tossed aside and Dabi took the money from the wallet before tossing it onto the body to be destroyed. He stretched a little, feeling his back pop pleasantly, and began the walk home. No remorse for the man he had just ended. No longer even thinking about the guy.

His thoughts were on Sayuri. He was anxious to get back to the apartment and see her. Thinking about her sweet, innocent face turning red. _I should show her some more stuff_, he thought. _I wonder how far I can push her. I don't want her to lose that innocence. It's…cute._

Dabi was soon nearing their neighborhood and felt a small rush of excitement when he spotted her walking alone down the sidewalk. Pulling his hood forward a little more, he quickened his pace until he was right behind her. An arm slid around her waist and he ducked into an alley, covering her mouth with a hand.

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri's heart was racing with terror when she found herself being pinned against the wall by something pressing at her back. Her right cheek was pressed to the cold surface, her hips being pressed forward by someone's pelvis. The young woman was unable to make a sound as she struggled to try to get free.

"Surprise." The voice came from beside her ear; familiar and a little excited.

She dropped her bags onto the ground and tried even harder to turn, but she was still trapped in place. Feeling Dabi grind against her from behind made her stomach do flips and she half-closed her eyes. _What…is he doing?_

The arm around her waist shifted and a hand rested on her waistband, a thumb slipping beneath the hem of her pale grey pants. Dabi's hips bucked against hers and warmth breath traced along her ear. "Put your hands on the wall and keep quiet." He waited for her to obey before slowly releasing her mouth.

"D-Dabi, what-?" Sayuri tensed, feeling his hand on her throat. Gentle. Applying just enough pressure to make sure she knew it was there. His other hand slid beneath the waist of her pants, heated fingertips trailing over her delicate skin. She bit back a whimper and her back subconsciously arched, pressing her skin tighter against his touch.

"You really want it, don't you?" he teased. His fingertips ran along her slit, teasing her. "You're…getting really wet. It doesn't take long, does it? I could just slip in, right here. I think we're far enough that no one will notice us."

She shook her head slightly, her face a burning shade of red and her knees feeling weak. His touch was so light, but it felt like waves of heat followed his fingertips. When she felt him ease two digits into her, she released a quiet, desperate sound that seemed to fuel him. He pushed in and out slowly at first, but soon picked up speed.

"I wonder how much you can take. Wanna find out?"

Her nails pressed at the wall as she felt him push a third finger in, stretching her. Sayuri was panting and she closed her eyes. The hand holding her neck tightened a little more, the pressure increasing to discomfort, but not quite at a dangerous level. She subconsciously bounced her hips as he plunged his fingers into her core, biting her lip in embarrassment.

"See? That's nice, right? Think you can take four?" The staples that ran down his chin scraped over the side of her neck as he teased her. He was clearly enjoying this moment; toying with her in public and making her beyond flustered. "What do you think? Four won't break you, will it?"

She writhed as she felt him attempt to fit a fourth, but when she made it clear that it hurt, he decided to just continue with three. A ball of tension was forming in her lower abdomen, tightening with each push of his fingers. Sayuri kept her eyes closed as the pleasure mounted and she felt the hand on her throat tighten a bit again.

With a choked sort of moan, Sayuri was pushed over the edge and clenched around his fingers. A pulsing pleasure washed over her and her knees almost buckled. Behind her, Dabi's breathing was heavy. He licked along the curve of her ear as he drew his hands away from her. She turned to face him and her face flushed a whole new shade of red.

His tongue was dragging along the fingers that he had used and his bright turquoise eyes were half-closed as he seemed to enjoy the flavor. When he appeared satisfied, he braced an arm over her head on the wall and leaned down so his face was inches from hers. That was when he took notice of her lips and his widened slightly.

Dabi's other hand gently took her chin and he stared down at her chapped, bleeding lips. "What'd you do to your face?"

"I…took someone's injury from them," she confessed. "Their lips were bleeding so I wanted to take the cuts, but…I accidentally took their dry skin, too. I didn't even know I could do that." She just counted herself lucky that it was just her lips. The stranger's skin around his eyes was even drier and looked insanely itchy.

She saw him frown and the young woman quickly crouched to get her bags, remembering her Valentine's Day present for him. "Let's go home, okay? I got some lip scrub and moisturizer to fix my lips so…it's really not a big deal. And I have a surprise for you."

Dabi smirked and took a step back. "Can't be better than what I just gave you," he taunted.

Sayuri felt a tingle run through her and she bowed her head to try to hide her blush behind her hair. "No, but…it's still pretty good," she assured him.

"We'll see about that." He grabbed her hand and took the lead. Walking just a little ahead of her, he glanced at the girl over his shoulder. "You liked it, right?"

"Huh? Ah! Y-yeah. It…it felt really good." She was a little too embarrassed to be talking about this in public. It felt like people knew what had happened in that alley and were silently judging them. _If someone saw us, they would've said something, though, right? I'm just being paranoid, right?_

"Great 'cause I have some stuff like that that I wanna do when we get home. Think you're up for it?"


	11. Chapter 11

NeonHorizon: Somewhere in Sayuri's reality...there's a smooth-lipped Shigaraki. Let that sink in for a moment.

* * *

_This looks okay, doesn't it? At least it looks better than it did yesterday._ Sayuri tilted her head a little, examining her lips in a slightly different light and trying to decide if she should put tinted lip balm over them to hide the dryness.

She was still amazed that she had taken the cuts as well as the dry skin from the man she met in the store. She had taken a decent amount of injuries in the past, but this was new to her. Running a finger along her lips, she frowned.

_They're still rough. As long as they look okay, it should be fine. At least they stopped bleeding. I just…need to be taken seriously. I have to look professional._ The young woman brushed the tangles out of her pale hair and pulled it back into a simple ponytail for the day. Turning to look at the bed, she had to smile.

Dabi was still asleep. Sprawled on his back, the blanket resting at waist level, with his head propped up on one arm that was behind his head. He looked so comfortable, so content. It made her wish she could stay with him for longer.

This was her day off, though. She only had one thing planned for the day and that was her home visit with Eri. Once that was done and she was sure that the little girl was in a safe environment, she could return home and get into bed with Dabi again. She could even pick up their lunch and dinner on her way back so they would be able to lounge around the apartment without worrying about cooking.

Sayuri was in the middle of picking out a clean shirt when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. Warm flesh pressed against her back through her shirt and she felt herself begin to blush. "Dabi…go back to bed. It's still kind of early."

His arms tightened around her, his chest flush against her back now. "Where are you going?"

She frowned and ducked her head a bit, trying to hide her face. As much as she hated it, she knew she had to lie to him. If he knew she was going for the home visit, he might try to go with her. Chisaki had been firm in insisting she go alone, for the sake of Eri's feelings.

"I'm just…going to see Fuyumi. I shouldn't be gone for long. Ah…there are some leftovers in the fridge if you want something, but don't spoil your appetite. I'm going to bring some food back with me." Sayuri tensed as she felt warm breath skim along the side of her neck. He still smelled like chocolate, from the previous night when she gave him his Valentine's Day gift.

"What if I want to eat _you_ instead?"

Her pulse raced and the pink flush of her cheeks turned to red. "D-don't…say stuff like that."

"Why not?" He turned her so she faced him, her back against the dresser while his hands rested on her hips. Seeing the warm hue of her face, he smirked and leaned down. "Just blow her off."

Sayuri felt a pleasant shiver run through her when he leaned down, his lips pressing against hers and the tip of his tongue running along her lower lip. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up and kissing back. His hips bucked forward against hers and he muffled a surprised yelp that escaped her.

When Dabi finally broke the kiss, he heard her quietly panting and saw her lower her head. He lifted her chin with a finger and took in the sight of her bright red blush and the way her soft lilac eyes were half-closed in bliss. "Tell her you can't go. I'll make sure you don't regret it."

She felt his thumb trace along her lip and bit back a whimper. "I…I can't. I'm sorry." She shook her head, breaking the lustful trance she fallen under. "I made a promise that I would be there. When I come back, though…" Sayuri lifted her gaze from the floor to meet his turquoise eyes. She smiled up at him and let her fingers run through his dark, spiky hair. "When I come back, we should do more of that."

She knew that compared to Dabi, she was vanilla. It was a struggle just to say those words. It was embarrassing and it made her stomach do flips. She always seemed to melt under his touch, though. It was only made more difficult when he was standing there without a shirt; his patchwork skin and toned build in full view.

Thoughts of Dabi's kiss continued to consume her as she made her way to the address sent by Chisaki. When she found herself standing in front of what seemed to be a large, gated, traditional Japanese-style home, she had to finally snap out of her thoughts of Dabi. It was a bit of a surprise. This house seemed too big for just two people, but Chisaki had only ever mentioned himself and Eri.

_Does she have siblings? Maybe this is a family home they share with his parents? I've heard of that before._ Sayuri called to say that she had arrived and a man in a long white coat came out to let her in through the gate. He had his hood up so she assumed he might have some sort of light sensitivity condition. His smile seemed genuine enough to her, even if it was small.

"So you're Naosu Sayuri, the kindergarten teacher," he remarked.

"That's right. Thank you for letting me pay a visit…?" She studied him as he opened the front door for her. _Is he Chisaki's friend? Boyfriend? Cousin? He sounds like the person that I first scheduled the visit with._

"Kurono," the young man offered.

"Kurono-san." She bowed once they were inside. "Thank you for letting me into your home."

"What do you have there?" He nodded toward the paper bag she was carrying in addition to her purse.

"Oh. These are…a gift. I brought these as an apology for needing to reschedule before. It's chocolate."

"You brought him chocolate?"

"No. Kind of? They're for Chisaki-san and Eri-chan. You can have one, too, if you want. I made these with my friend a few days ago so they're still pretty fresh. They're just milk chocolate, but-"

"Eri's room is this way. He's already waiting for you there." He started down the hallway, not bothering to lower his hood. Kurono glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was following and led her to a door with little flower decorations and a cute sign that read the child's name.

When the door was opened, Sayuri was met with what seemed to be a normal little girl's bedroom. A child-sized bed, where Eri was currently sitting and staring down at a doll in her hands. A little pink wardrobe stocked with clothes. A shelf with various dolls and stuffed animals on it in neat rows.

Sayuri could smell that the paint on the walls and the wardrobe was fresh. It was a faint scent, but it was still there. The toys looked pretty new, but that could be attributed to Chisaki possibly spoiling his daughter. The man himself was standing against the far wall, wearing a black medical mask over his nose and mouth as he had been when they first met.

The second her eyes met the intense golden ones of the man, she felt goose bumps forming beneath the sleeves of her sweater. She shook it off and offered a smile. "Hello, Eri-chan. Hello, Chisaki-san. Thank you for having me in your house. How are you?" she greeted them, switching to teacher mode.

"We're fine. Aren't we, Eri? Say hello to Naosu."

The child briefly glanced over at Chisaki before looking up at Sayuri. Her crimson eyes widened and shone with tears. "Sayuri…you…came?"

"Didn't I tell you she'd come? Now, why don't you greet her properly?" The man set a gloved hand on top of the girl's head.

"Th-thank you for coming."

Sayuri maintained her smile and nodded. "It's my pleasure. I'm just here to…check up on you and see how you are, Eri-chan. I'm going to ask a few questions and…" Her eyes lowered to the bandages that were wrapped around the girl's arms and legs. "Eri-chan, did you get hurt? What happened?"

The little girl drew into a ball, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head down. "I…I don't…"

"She's embarrassed. Aren't you, Eri? Tell her what happened."

"I was running and…I tripped. In the garden outside."

"She got a couple of nasty cuts, but she's doing better now. You know how kids are, don't you? You're a kindergarten teacher so you know how they get at that age." Chisaki lifted his hand off of Eri's head and approached Sayuri, his gaze briefly lowering to her lips. His eyebrows furrowed in disgust, clearly noticing her chapped, still-healing skin.

Sayuri was embarrassed that he had noticed, but decided to continue with the home visit. She sat on the edge of Eri's bed and managed to keep the gentle, warm smile on her face. "Is it okay if I ask you a few questions, Eri-chan?"

The girl looked up at her and gave a small nod. "O-okay."

She turned toward Chisaki, seeing the man now standing near the door with his arms crossed. "Chisaki-san, for protocol reasons, I'm going to need for you to step out of the room for me to ask her these questions. You understand, right?"

He lowered his arms and nodded. "Of course. I'll be back soon."

Once he was gone, Sayuri leaned down and gently brushed the child's pale, wavy hair away from her face. She drew a handkerchief from her purse and wiped at Eri's tears. "Are you okay? You're crying..."

Eri looked surprised for a moment and then shook her head. "No, I…I'm happy! I'm happy…to see you!" She threw her arms around Sayuri in a hug, showing much more emotion than before.

_Chisaki-san said that her mother abandoned her so…is that why she's so happy?_ Sayuri half-smiled and gave her a small hug back. "I'm happy to see you, too, Eri-chan. I have a few questions, okay? Do you want to answer some questions?"

"I-I can answer," she confirmed, nodding again.

Sayuri went through her standard questions about if the child was happy, if she felt safe with her father, if she was being taken care of properly, if she went to school, and so on. Most of the answers were satisfactory, with the exception of school. According to Eri, she had never gone to preschool or kindergarten.

Chisaki returned to find Eri marveling as Sayuri braided her doll's hair for her. "Are you finished?"

The young woman jolted and looked up from her work. "Oh. Yes, I asked all of my usual questions for a home visit. Just a couple more things." She set the doll aside and turned to Eri. "Your cuts hurt, don't they? From when you tripped in the garden? I'll take those injuries for you, okay? I can handle a lot more pain and I don't want you to be hurting, Eri-chan. Show me where it hurts."

Eri glanced to Chisaki, who gave a nod. She pointed at her left calf and her right forearm, but she was frowning. Her eyes were filling with tears again and Sayuri assumed it was from the embarrassment of falling. The teacher gently put one hand on the child's forearm and one on her calf before she activated her quirk.

Tears sprang to her own eyes as there was a searing pain along the inner part of her forearm as well as in her calf. The pain was like having a knife slice deep into her flesh, slashing skin and muscle alike. Just as it became unbearable, it all stopped abruptly and she was left with a different sort of feeling. Something indescribable. Best put as unsettlingly refreshed.

Sayuri opened her eyes, letting the tears flow, and found Chisaki staring intently down at her forearm. She had pushed her sleeves up when she offered to braid the hair on Eri's doll so now the thick, deep scar along her inner forearm was extremely obvious. It was shiny, like new flesh.

When Eri saw the scar, she began to apologize. Sayuri shook her head, smiling, and rolled down her sleeve. "It's nothing to apologize for. Things happen, right? Accidents happen all the time. Just promise you'll be more careful, okay? I don't like it when you get hurt."

The chocolates were offered to Eri and the little girl's eyes widened. Chisaki said she could have two pieces for now and Sayuri felt immensely happy to see the child enjoy the sweets. It was almost as if Eri had never had chocolate before.

With the home visit over, Sayuri bid the little girl farewell with one last hug and was escorted out of the room by Chisaki. She rolled up her sleeve, careful of the tender scar, and frowned. "She's a good kid," she started. "And you seem to be providing her with everything she needs, but Eri-chan needs to start going to school. She said she didn't go to preschool and she isn't enrolled in kindergarten. She also said she doesn't have a tutor. Chisaki-san, it's important for kids-"

"I wanted to discuss that with you. I have a proposition for you, Naosu." He halted near the front door, turning to face her. "School isn't an option for Eri. She doesn't handle crowds well. I think it would be ideal for me to have someone come here to tutor her. This way she can have some…controlled socializing. And she can learn in a comfortable environment."

Sayuri immediately nodded. _It makes sense. Eri-chan can at least get caught up and then maybe he'll want to send her to school. If she's caught up, she won't have as much trouble fitting in._ She pulled out her phone to make a quick note. "I know someone that would be good for the job. I have a female coworker that-"

"I want to hire _you_ to do it. I'll give you some time to think it over. One week should be long enough, right? Call me and give me your answer a week from today."

"Oh…okay." She frowned a little, but she could understand his reasoning. Eri already knew Sayuri so she would be more comfortable. _I don't really feel comfortable around her dad, though. He kept staring at me. And what was with that other guy? Kurono? Who was he?_


	12. Chapter 12

Sayuri had been gone for a little over an hour. When it became clear it was going to be a while before she returned, he finally summoned forth enough motivation to get out of bed and look for some clean clothes. A freshly washed pair of pants and shirt were on the floor in a pile with the rest of the clean laundry.

Dabi was pulling his shirt on when he paused and looked toward the framed poster over her bed. His eyes narrowed on the hero on the poster and he finished putting on his shirt. Everything about the poster was making him frown.

She never talked about it, but this was clearly important to her. Whoever the hero Calorie Bomb was, he was someone she either looked up to in the past or still admired. If the personalized message was any indication, she meant something to Calorie Bomb, too.

The handwritten message on the poster read "Sayuri, don't let anyone crush your spirit! Follow your dreams! Whatever you want to do, remember that you'll always have my support! –Calorie Bomb".

As Dabi read it again, he found his eyes drifting to that smile. The hero's face looked like he was on the verge of bursting into laughter. It sort of felt like he was mocking Dabi. Like this hero knew that his picture was hanging over a girl's bed and most likely occupied her thoughts on some level.

_I've never even heard of you. If she liked you so much, she would've mentioned you, right?_ The corners of his lips drew back as turned away from the poster and ventured out of her room to find food.

He was unsure if Sayuri had already fed the rats, but decided to feed them himself anyway. Dabi dropped a handful of pellets into the cage and watched the pale little creatures enjoy their meal. The sight of their little paws gripping a pellet as they chewed brought him a bit of entertainment.

A container of leftovers was grabbed from the fridge and he made himself comfortable on the couch. The food was cold, poorly seasoned. Not that he really cared at this point. The leftovers were more or less shoveled into his mouth as he thought about what he would do when she came home.

Right now, Dabi had few goals. He was kind of directionless. Going out and using his quirk every chance he got, challenging himself more for fun than for any other reason. What solid goals he did have were all Sayuri-related. He wanted to get revenge for what Endeavor did to her. He wanted to get rid of anyone that threatened to spoil her innocence.

They never really discussed the future because she never seemed to question it. Sayuri never got mad about him not having a job. She barely even questioned what he did while she was at work.

Whether she knew it or not, he planned for this relationship to be long-term. It was definitely not what he had intended the first time he said he wanted to keep her, but the more time he spent with Sayuri, the more he decided that he liked this. He liked it too much to even consider letting her go.

Dabi dropped the empty container onto the floor and leaned forward on the couch, staring at the rat cage. The animals had finished devouring the pellets and were now settling into the corner together for a nap. He frowned and leaned back onto the dark blue cushions.

_She's taking too long. I can't believe she's still friends with that girl. After everything Endeavor put her through._ Dabi's eyes closed and he ran his fingers through his messy black hair, feeling frustrated.

It had started to bother him. There was this fuzzy, faded memory that he had from what could only be childhood. A memory of a girl with hair the color of snow, covered in bruises and scrapes, crying softly. It felt like something from another life almost and he was having trouble remembering any other details involved.

His eyes opened and he leaned forward again, glaring down at the floor. Dabi pushed away the thoughts and decided to watch television until she returned. He was only partially paying attention; his mind wandering to something else he had pushed to the back of his mind.

_I wonder how she's gonna react. _The memory of burning her male coworker alive was still fresh. He remembered how the man offered his wallet, thinking that it had just been a mugging. _She'd be mad if she knew, right? How am I gonna keep a straight face tomorrow?_

**Shift P.O.V**

"There's no way you'll have time for that. Sayuri, you already work full time! You can't add tutoring on top of that!"

She frowned, but this reaction came as no surprise to her. Fuyumi knew how stressful teaching could get, even with simpler lesson plans. "It's hard to say "no". You didn't see how sad she looked when I left!"

"I understand, but you're going to push yourself too much if you do this. You'll exhaust yourself."

"I know, I just…I hate disappointing people." Sayuri was nearing her apartment building and moved her phone to her left ear as she dug in her bag for her keys. "I have a week to think it over. Maybe…I can figure something out. Maybe. There has to be _some_ way that I can help."

There was a slight pause before Fuyumi spoke again. "Your boyfriend…isn't the jealous type, is he? The girl's father is single and raising her himself, isn't he? I know it's up to you, but what if your boyfriend gets jealous of the girl's father? If you tutor her, you'll be spending a lot of time with them both."

Sayuri's frown deepened and she slowed her steps. "I don't think he's the jealous type," she replied, but she was honestly unsure. "I guess I should think this over some more before I make a decision. You're right; I really shouldn't push myself too much. It's not fair to my students or to Eri-chan."

She lowered her head, her shoulders slouching a bit. "I just…there isn't much I _can_ do, you know? So whatever I'm able to do to help her, I want to do it. I know what it's like to be abandoned by a parent. I mean, both of mine cut out after I refused to do what they wanted me to do. So I don't want Eri-chan to feel the way I did…"

Fuyumi sighed. "You really are too nice sometimes, Sayuri. But that's who you are. Maybe there's some way you can still help her."

"Yeah. I'm sure there is. I'll figure out something. Thanks for listening, Fuyumi." She ended the call as she approached her door, her phone being tucked into her bag again.

Sayuri was met with the sight of Dabi sitting on the couch and eating some more of the chocolates she had given him for Valentine's Day. When their eyes met, he half-grinned and stayed where he was seated. "Sorry that I was gone for so long."

"Have fun?"

She subconsciously rubbed at her freshly scarred forearm and approached the couch. "I guess? It was just coffee." Sayuri disliked lying to him and saying she had gone with Fuyumi, but she had been afraid that he might try to go with her to the home visit. "Don't tell me you had some fun while I was gone," she attempted to tease him.

His grin spread a little and he raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you afraid you might've missed out?"

The young woman stood in front of him and crossed her arms, pouting that her taunt had been so easily countered. Worse yet, her face was starting to feel warm with a blush. "So you're…pretty good at entertaining yourself then?" she tried again.

Fingers gripped the buckle of her belt and Dabi pulled her down so she straddled his lap. His free hand slid up her lower back, beneath the edge of her sweater and t-shirt. Heated fingertips glided along her skin and made her back arch in response. He leaned up to her ear, his staples brushing over her neck along the way. "I can keep myself happy, but I'd rather have _you_ do it."

Sayuri's belt was released, but that hand was soon tangling into her pale hair and drawing her head back a little. Her mouth was covered by his and she slid her arms around his neck. Her fingers ran through his hair, nails gently scraping over his scalp. She muffled a groan from him that was quickly followed by his hips lifting, grinding against her as the hand on her back kept her close.

In a few seconds, the young woman was lifted and carried to the bedroom. Her back met the mattress, his hands quickly sliding beneath her sweater and shirt to pull them off of her. Sayuri's face went from pink to red as all of her scars were revealed. She was about to protest, but had to bite her lip as he latched his mouth onto the scar on her collarbone.

_What is he thinking? It's a Sunday! All of my neighbors are home and…someone might hear…_She closed her eyes and panted as he drew away from her scar. Fingers slid to her belt, making quick work of opening it as he moved on to the next scar that they both shared. Each scar they had in common, he left marked with light teeth marks and shallow bruises.

"D-Dabi, wait." Thankfully, he did as she said and stared down at her curiously. Sayuri pushed herself up and managed to push him down onto the bed on his back. His bright turquoise eyes widened momentarily as she sat on his waist, surprised that she was doing something so bold.

She traced her fingers along lines of staples, skimming over the heated border between burned flesh and the peachy smoothness of undamaged skin. The young man beneath her released a sharp hiss when she skimmed along his waistline and bucked his hips into hers, making her feel his need. In her surprise, her nails shallowly dug into his skin and it forced a groan from him.

"Tease." The word was growled and soon Sayuri was under him again. Dabi braced a hand against the mattress to the side of her head, his face hovering inches away from hers. The wolfish expression he was wearing made her shiver and he tangled his free hand in her hair. "I hope you can handle this. You really got me excited now, Sayuri. You'll be lucky if you can walk when I'm done."

Hours later, they were lying on her couch while a movie played on the television. Sayuri's hair was still wet from a shower, her face a bright shade of pink as she kept thinking about what they did. She was lying on top of Dabi while they watched the movie so she could feel the warmth of his body through the thin fabric of his shirt. It did nothing to make her blush fade.

Moving so she was sitting between his legs, her back against his chest, she held one of his hands in hers. A fingertip lightly skimmed over the line of staples and she tilted her head, once more wondering about what had happened to him to make him this way. She knew it had to be painful; the burns were really deep. Asking about it would probably upset him and she wanted to keep things light.

Dabi's eyes were, unfortunately, drawn to her hand when she grabbed his. She was wearing a shirt with short sleeves now so he immediately took notice of the scar on the inside of her forearm. He had failed to notice it earlier since they were busy, but now his eyes narrowed on the scar.

He took her wrist and drew her arm back so he could look at it more closely. "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh. Um. It's not a big deal. I took someone's injury," she tried to explain, without mentioning Eri.

"Is this from your friend? This…looks like a clean cut. Like it's from a knife."

"What?" Sayuri leaned back, trying to look at her arm. _Like it's from a knife? Like it's self-inflicted or like from a cooking accident?_

"Stop squirming. You're going to get me excited again," he taunted.

She went still, feeling like she was blushing so intensely her face might be steaming. Sayuri felt warm breath caress her wrist before he kissed the scar. She bit back a surprised yelp and when he released her arm, she drew it to her chest. "What was that about?"

Rather than offer an answer, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her tighter against his chest. One leg moved between hers and he relaxed back against the dark blue cushions of the couch. The movie on the television progressed as the two watched in silence.

Finally, he spoke again. "You…need to stop taking so many scars. You're gonna cover all of mine."

"Why are you worried about that? Are you leaving me and they're going to be the only thing I have to remember you by?" she muttered.

"I'm not leaving. I just don't like seeing other people's marks on you."

_Is he…jealous?_ She twisted around so she faced him, a hand planted on his chest and her face a few inches from his. "Dabi? Are you jealous of Fuyumi?" She decided to test to first see if he was jealous of her best friend.

He smirked and leaned up to her ear. "What if I _am_? Are you gonna do something to make it up to me?"

Sayuri jolted and pushed herself to sit up, straddling him and looking down at the young man. "I forgot to get something for dinner! I knew I was forgetting something!"


	13. Chapter 13

NeonHorizon: I also have a Hawks story now, if you're also into Hawks. Also this chapter contains some mature stuff that isn't swearing.

* * *

He was used to Sayuri coming home from work and looking kind of tired, but she always seemed to perk up a little after being home for a while. Today was different. Dabi was lounging on the couch, as he did every day, when she got home.

He immediately noticed the paint splotches dried on her sweater and jeans. The glitter shimmering in her hair and ingrained into her right cheek. When she had left, her hair was back in a ponytail and now it looked absolutely ragged.

Sayuri turned her back to him so she could lock the door and she paused, leaning her forehead against the door. _I'm a mess. I probably look I just crawled out of a sewer. I didn't want him to see me like this; I hoped he would be out._

"What happened to you?"

She took a deep breath and turned around. Sayuri trudged across the room and collapsed on top of Dabi on the couch, sliding her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest. "I don't want to talk about it."

Snickering, he draped an arm across her lower back. "Don't tell me you're worn out already. I wanted to-"

"Namimoto didn't show up for work today. He didn't call…he didn't say anything to anyone. So we couldn't get a temp to cover his class. I had a group of…around three dozen kindergartners…all packed into my classroom. My lesson plan for today was only for my class so I didn't have enough worksheets. I panicked and had a craft day, but three dozen kindergartners is a lot of kids to handle."

Before she could push herself up so she could look at him, she felt his arm tighten around her and pull her down again so her cheek was pressed against his chest. "Tch. That coworker sounds like trash," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair.

"He isn't usually like this. I'm…actually kind of worried. Namimoto never does stuff like that this. What if something-?"

"You're seriously that worried? Didn't he flake on you before? He's useless."

"He's my coworker!" Sayuri forcefully pushed herself up, but felt one of his knees slide between her legs. Warmth rose to her cheeks and the young woman bit her lip, hating how she reacted this way to Dabi even after having such a rough day. No matter what she went through, he always had this effect on her. It made it difficult for her to stay upset.

Dabi's eyes narrowed for a moment and he tilted his head. He stared up at her until his lips finally drew into a grin. The hand that was running through her hair cupped her cheek and he rubbed his thumb over the glitter that decorated her skin. "You're pretty cute when you're pissed off."

She turned away and sighed. It was too hard for her to hold onto her anger. Especially when he was acting this way. "I'm exhausted," she finally confessed.

"Too bad. We're out of food." He pushed himself to sit upright, holding her on his lap. Dabi lifted a hand to ruffle his already messy black hair and smirked. "Maybe if you change and wash off the glitter, I'll take you out."

Sayuri's pulse sped up and she raised a pale eyebrow as she regarded him. "Are you asking me on a date…?" she asked with hesitation. If she was wrong and he laughed at her, she knew she would die a little on the inside.

"You wanna call it that?"

"N-no, it doesn't have to be called anything. I'll be back." She grabbed some clean clothes and slipped into the bathroom to clean up a little. It was as she was pulling on a clean sweater that something occurred to her.

She had never seen Dabi spend money. He never bought anything so she just assumed that he was broke. She was pretty sure he was unemployed since he was usually home when she left and he was almost always still there when she returned from work. So the fact that he was offering to take her out was a little strange. Any time they went out for groceries, she always paid.

Of course, Sayuri wanted to believe that he just had a little money and was cautious about spending it. Which would be completely fine with her. She would understand since he was probably unemployed. Instead of dwelling on the issue, she decided to focus on the fact that they were actually going out together.

It was normal to eat together and, of course, she often brought food home. They had never gone out somewhere for food together so this was starting to feel like a real date. It made her feel kind of bubbly; giddy and excited about what was sure to be a romantic evening. Something amazing to take her mind off of her rough day at work.

They settled on an udon place and they were seated near a window. Dabi slouched a little in his seat, eyes fixed on Sayuri as the young woman stared outside at the swirling snow. "Still worried about that guy?"

She tensed in her seat and flitted her gaze toward Dabi before she awkwardly started toying with a strand of hair. "I mean…of course, I am. It's not normal for him to just disappear like this. Usually if he was going to be gone, he would've at least told someone. No one knows what's going on with him. I heard someone tried calling him, but…no luck."

Their bowls of noodles were placed in front of them, a couple of mugs of beer alongside them. Dabi watched Sayuri blow on her meal for a while, her face flushing a bright pink when she caught him staring. He smirked and shook his head. "Shouldn't worry about that guy if he's going to blow you off."

Sayuri frowned and half-shrugged. It was strange that Namimoto would just disappear, but Dabi was right. Worrying about her coworker would do nothing. Namimoto might have just been out sick for the day. He might return to work the next day and she could joke with him about taking his class from him.

**Shift P.O.V**

He did not like that she was dwelling so much on her coworker's disappearance. Their grocery shopping was complete, but the whole time they were in the store, she was clearly distracted. Now Dabi was watching her put away the groceries, leaning against the wall beside the fridge with his arms crossed.

Her soft, pink lips were drawn into a small frown as she worked. She moved automatically; clearly not focused on what she was doing as her thoughts were occupied with something else. As cute and innocent as her worried face appeared, Dabi found himself getting increasingly annoyed with the way she fixated on her coworker.

Jealousy was making his blood start to boil and he ran his fingers through his hair. Sayuri opened a cupboard and leaned up as much as she could, trying to get the box onto the top shelf. With her back turned, he decided to take this opportunity to reclaim her attention.

Dabi moved in close behind her, pressing himself against her back and taking the box from her hand. He effortlessly slid it onto the top shelf, but did not step back afterwards. Instead, he wrapped both arms around her and buried his face into her pale hair. He could smell the lingering citrus scent of her shampoo and it made him half-grin. "What're you thinking about?"

She tensed and then lowered her head. "D-Dabi…"

"Come on. You can tell me." He leaned down a little and nipped at her ear, drawing a small squeak from her. "Or do you want me to put some thoughts in your head? You think I can make you get a nosebleed?" he teased.

He let his left hand slip down along her side and dug a finger into the waist of her skirt. Sayuri's hips pressed back against his in response and his half-grin spread wider. "Maybe I should aim higher tonight. What would your neighbors do if I got you to scream?"

"Don't say stuff like that!"

**Shift P.O.V**

She felt guilty about worrying so much about Namimoto. Sayuri knew that Dabi could tell she was still worried. _He's trying to cheer me up. Why is he so sweet?_ Her pulse skipped a beat as she felt warm lips caress the side of her neck.

Biting her lip to smother a whimper, she felt pleasure flood her body and mind. The gentle scrape of metal staples against her skin only seemed to elevate the sensation and she subconsciously ground her bottom against him. The hand near her hip slid further down and he let his fingers hook into the bottom of the short skirt she was wearing. The fabric started to slide upwards as his hand slid inward and soon Sayuri felt his hand firmly planted between her thighs.

His name escaped her lips again and she felt him nuzzle against the side of her neck. Without another word, he grabbed her hand and led her toward her room. Clothes were shed along the way there and soon she found herself settled on Dabi's lap with that certain part of him buried in her heat. Her hands gripped his shoulders, nails gently sinking into his warm, scarred flesh as his hips rolled into hers.

Sayuri leaned down, resting her forehead against his collarbone as he repeated the action again and again. His hands wandered along her sides, staying on her hips for a short while before his arms would momentarily wrap around her and press her close so her chest was against his. She panted quietly, feeling a ball of tension quickly forming in her core.

Fingertips glided along her spine, nails lightly scraping and making her arch her back. Her chest pressed tighter against him and her grip on his shoulders tightened as she felt the tension building more and more. As she neared the edge, she finally allowed a few soft calls of his name to escape. She soon regretted not holding back.

Knowing that she was close to the edge, Dabi smirked and went still. He held her tightly, keeping her from release. Sayuri growled in frustration and dug her nails a little deeper into his shoulders. She pressed her knees into his sides, trying to urge him to continue.

"What? You want more?" he teased, his lips brushing the side of her ear as he leaned down. "Come on. I wanna hear you beg."

"Just…keep going," she mumbled.

"You can do better, right? Let me hear it." Dabi lifted her chin with a finger, making her soft lilac eyes meet his intense turquoise ones. His lips curled into a grin and he traced his thumb along her lower lip. "Come on."

"Ngh. P-please. Please keep going. Please, Dabi." Sayuri was immediately rewarded by his hand dropping down between them, a fingertip pressing at the sensitive area above where he was buried in her. He pressed lightly at first, but slowly increased pressure. He started to rub in a circular motion and Sayuri threw her head back, releasing his name in a moan as her muscles tightened on him.

Dabi felt her body tense and then go lax when her release started to fade. Before she could fully recover, he decided that he had delayed his own release for long enough. Turning them, he put her on her back beneath him and set a pace that was hard and fast. The headboard rocked against the wall over and over as he drove his hips into hers.

Fingertips slid along her legs as he held them open and pressed down. The overstimulation made it difficult for her to keep quiet. She could feel herself being pushed toward another edge and she knew that this time he was not going to stop before it came. To add to the euphoric feeling, his left hand moved away from her leg and cupped her breast, kneading her sensitive flesh and pushing her over the edge.

He continued, still rocking his hips into hers through her release as he moved toward his own. When it hit, he pushed in deep and wrapped an arm around her to keep her pinned against him. Panting, grinning to himself, he released into Sayuri and continued to stay in this position for several minutes afterwards.

When Dabi finally pulled away, he fell onto his side next to her and immediately dozed off. Sayuri leaned down, trailing her fingers through his hair and half-smiling to herself. It was difficult to imagine that someone who looked this cute when he slept was capable of what he just did.

Sayuri frowned as she remembered that they had abandoned the groceries and she got out of bed to finish putting the food away. She stopped in the bathroom to clean up and put on pajamas before making her way to the kitchen. Once again, she was a little amazed by how easily Dabi could distract her.

As she was finishing putting away the groceries, Sayuri's phone began to ring. She dug it out of her jacket pocket on the floor and checked the number on the screen. _This is…?_ Her eyes widened and she answered the call. "Naosu Sayuri speaking."

There was a short moment of hesitation before the caller spoke. "Naosu. Have you had time to think about the offer?"

She vaguely recognized Kurono's voice from her visit to Eri's home. "Oh. Good evening…Kurono-san, right? I haven't had much time to think about it. Chisaki-san just brought it up yesterday. I've thought about it a little, though. I'd like to be able to tutor Eri-chan, but I teach a kindergarten class full time so my schedule is pretty full right now."

"What about like once or twice a week in the afternoon? Or Sundays?"

Sayuri settled on the couch and frowned. "I guess…that could work. Afternoon, if it's just once or twice a week. Chisaki-san would be okay with that?"

"Kai just wants you to tutor the kid. Even if it's just once a week."

_Eri's education is that important to him that he's willing to be flexible._ Sayuri admired his dedication to his daughter's well-being. "Is he there?"

"He's busy now, but if you're leaning toward "yes", I can have him call you."


	14. Chapter 14

Undercooked chicken. Dabi felt his stomach churn as he pulled open the fridge and grabbed the container of food with a shaking hand. Sayuri had made breaded chicken cutlets with rice. She was so proud of making them each a bento and he, with his lack of patience and curiosity, had helped himself to some of the food as soon as she left for work.

Eating mindlessly. Watching television as he ate and thinking to himself that it was a little overly seasoned, the breading a little too crunchy. As Dabi tore a cutlet in half, he had to fight down the bile rising in his throat. Sure enough, the inside had a pinkish coloration.

He dumped the contents of the bento into the trash and felt his stomach gurgle again, painfully. Most of the morning had been spent vomiting and shaking with a frustrating level of weakness. He grabbed a bottle of cold water and made his way back to the bathroom.

Slumping against the side of the bathtub, Dabi opened the bottle and chugged the water before rinsing the taste of bile from his mouth. _This…sucks. What the hell happened? Nasty._

A hand, shaking from weakness, lifted his phone and he checked the time. It was mid-afternoon. By this point, it would be too late to tell her that the chicken was undercooked. She was probably puking her guts out in the bathroom at school.

Food poisoning had been inevitable with Sayuri's lack of cooking skills, but he had expected it to strike in some small way. Like a small stomach ache. This was horrible. It felt like his stomach's contents were churning inside of him.

Another wave of nausea hit and he had to crawl over to the toilet to vomit. At this point, his stomach was mostly empty so it was just painful dry heaves that would bring tears to a lesser man. Dabi collapsed onto the floor, scowling and shaking. He decided that he had suffered alone for long enough and attempted to call Sayuri.

If he was lucky, she would agree to just come back or she would say she was on her way home and that she was feeling sick. She was too sweet to just let him suffer and he knew it. She would probably get some stomach medicine for them both and pamper him when she got home. Sayuri was definitely the nurturing type so it would be easy enough to convince her to just curl up with him in her bed until he needed something.

There was no answer. He was too exhausted at this point to try again. Dabi dug around in the laundry basket near the door and dragged a few towels out to cover himself so he could keep warm. She was bound to be home soon and she would find him sleeping on the floor. She would worry over him and insist on taking care of him, even if she was feeling just as sickly. He dozed off with this on his mind, looking forward to it.

**Shift P.O.V**

_I didn't even get a chance to eat lunch. _Sayuri pouted as she looked at the bento she had packed for herself. For the past week, Namimoto had failed to show up for work. She had taken care of his class all on her own for the first three days and now she was assisting the temporary teacher who was filling in for him.

Sighing, she closed the bento box. _I guess I'll put it in the fridge when I get home and I'll just take it again tomorrow. I wonder if Dabi ate his. I wish I could make them the way that Fuyumi does. Hers are way more aesthetic._

Sayuri bid her fellow teachers farewell and walked down the long hallway to the entrance, a folder of worksheets in her hand. When she stepped outside, she was met with an odd sight. She nearly dropped her folder out of surprise.

Standing near the school gate was a faintly familiar man wearing a hooded jacket. He lifted a hand in greeting and moved toward her, his eyes fixed clearly on Sayuri. "Naosu."

"You're…it's Kurono-san, right?"

"Yeah. You have a minute?"

"Um…just a second." She checked the time on her phone and felt a pang of guilt when she saw a missed call from Dabi. He never called her so she instantly feared something was wrong. "I don't have much time," she apologized.

"It'll just take a few minutes. It's about Eri's tutoring."

"Right. I just…ah…okay. Just a few minutes, though," Sayuri agreed. She pushed a stray lock of pale hair behind her ear and walked alongside Kurono toward a small café near the school. Inside, Eri's father was waiting for them.

She took the seat across from Chisaki, giving him a polite greeting as she did so. "You wanted to talk about Eri's tutoring, right? Do Sundays work for you? I would be able to do Sunday or maybe in the afternoon once a week on a weekday."

It was strange. Usually when someone is in a café, they have a beverage or some sort of food. Chisaki Kai was sitting with nothing in front of him on the table. Wearing a black medical mask, as he always did. "Afternoons. Could you come tomorrow?"

"Maybe? I'll have to check something first. So, um…how much education does she have?" She felt silly to be asking this, but since Eri had never been to school, it seemed like a valid question. Sayuri expected that she had probably been taught how to count, how to read, how to do some basic math.

"None." Chisaki said this with a complete lack of guilt.

Sayuri was unable to stop a short, sort of anxious laugh from escaping her. "What do you mean? She knows how to read a little, right?"

"No. Eri's never been to school and I haven't had the opportunity to teach her anything."

Kurono chose to chime in now. "Kai's busy with other things."

Again, Sayuri found herself wondering what exactly their relationship was. "Okay. So I'm basically working with a blank slate?"

"That's a good way of looking at this," Chisaki agreed. He hesitated for a moment before his next question. "You tutor one on one, don't you?"

She nodded, remembering that he had mentioned how Eri got nervous around strangers. "Yes. But if you want to sit in on the tutoring or have someone else-?"

"No; it's fine. I just wanted to make sure that Eri will get all of your attention. No other students. No other teachers. No _distractions_." He studied her for a moment, noticing her fidget with the folder of papers and seeing her soft lilac eyes dart toward the door. "Something wrong? You seem like you're in a hurry to leave."

Sayuri gave him a small, apologetic half-smile. "Sorry. I just…I missed a call from my boyfriend earlier and I'm kind of worried about him. He doesn't usually call me so I think he might need help. I'm sorry to cut this short-"

"Boyfriend?" Kurono glanced over at Chisaki, who remained silent.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I really do have to go. I'll call you later to tell you if tomorrow will work, Chisaki-san. Thank you for meeting with me." She hurried out of the café, drawing her phone from her pocket as she walked and trying to return Dabi's call. It rang to voicemail.

Just as panic set in and it felt like her heart would pop from beating so fast, he called her back. "What's taking so long?" His voice sounded groggy; like he had just woken up. It also sounded a little hoarse, a little weak.

"Are you okay? You called earlier. Sorry I didn't answer; I was still at work."

There was a rustling sound for a moment before he spoke again. "You gave me food poisoning. That chicken…was seriously disgusting."

Her face went red with embarrassment. She had been afraid something like this might happen. It was bound to happen eventually, but she had really hoped it would be something minor. Like giving him a small stomach ache or fermented fruit maybe giving him a slight drunk feeling. This was undercooked chicken bad. Vomiting one's own guts into a toilet bad.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm on my way home now. I'll get some stuff from the store. Is there anything you want in particular?"

Another brief pause and then the quiet thud of him probably resting on the floor of the bedroom. "I want ice cream," he mumbled, now sounding almost like a sickly child.

Sayuri had to smile at the request. It sounded cute. He rarely asked for things outright like that so this was a nice change of pace. As bad as it was that her cooking had given him food poisoning, she was glad she could take care of him. She was even gladder that she had not had time to eat her own bento.

The store was kind of busy at this time of day, but things like that never really bothered Sayuri. She worked with a horde of tiny children for a living so dealing with a horde of shoppers was just the same scenario with a different setting. Grabbing a shopping basket, she set off to get some stuff to make Dabi feel better.

Cup ramen. Chips. Ginger candies. A bag of apples and a bag of oranges. Stomach medicine. She grabbed a container of chocolate ice cream, thinking it might be a flavor he would enjoy. The final thing she wanted to get was ginger ale.

She remembered one Valentine's Day when she had gone overboard eating chocolate. Her stomach had hurt so badly that she was sure her stomach was going to turn inside out from vomiting so much. Fuyumi had given her ginger ale and it had at least settled her stomach enough to not make her feel like she was dying.

When she entered the apartment, Sayuri found Dabi unconscious on the bathroom floor with a few towels pulled over him like makeshift blankets. She grimaced and gently moved the towels away so she could get him out of the bathroom. Her arms slid beneath his, wrapping around his upper chest, and Sayuri dragged him out of the bathroom.

He remained unconscious until she hauled him onto the couch. Turquoise eyes lazily slid open and settled on Sayuri as she leaned down to examine him. A hand lifted, fingers tangling in her snowy hair before he yanked her down on top of him. Pressing her face into the side of his neck.

She squirmed, trying to pull free, and planted her hands on his shoulders. "D-Dabi, I need to put away the groceries."

"What'd you get?" He asked this, but maintained a firm hold on her. One leg wrapped around her right leg, pinning her tighter against him.

"Some snacks and medicine. I got your ice cream, but…you know it's going to melt if I don't put it away, right?"

There was a frustrated sigh from the man before he released her. "Fine."

Sayuri pushed herself up and lingered for a moment, looking him over. The patches of skin that were not dark and scarred appeared paler than usual. He definitely seemed to be feeling unwell. "I'll be back with some medicine, okay? Just…relax."

She started putting the groceries away, her thoughts drifting to a possible lesson plan for Eri the next day. _She's never gone to school. I can't believe her dad didn't teach her how to read. I'll need to bring some workbooks. I can probably take some of the extras from the school and I can get some pencils or crayons for her to write with. _Sayuri heard a clatter and running water.

The couch was now empty and the open bathroom door showed that Dabi was apparently brushing his teeth. The young teacher watched him splash water on his face when he was done and quickly looked away when the man turned toward her. Sayuri's face was flushed a warm pink as she tried to finish what she was doing.

Dabi trudged into the kitchen and leaned against the wall beside the fridge, arms crossed as he watched her put away the ice cream. It was clear that he was still feeling pretty weak from the food poisoning, but he was at least able to keep himself standing upright. He saw her blush and half-grinned. "You're not sick?"

"I…didn't have time to eat lunch today." To her embarrassment, her stomach chose this moment to growl. "Namimoto is still missing and I've been helping his replacement. I was just too busy and I'm just…really stressed out. Fuyumi was right; I might be pushing myself too much."

She handed over the stomach medicine and poured a glass of ginger ale. As he swallowed the medicine, Sayuri decided to try to tease him to cover up her own embarrassment at being caught watching him. Her lips twitched into a smirk and she toyed with a long strand of pale hair. "So did you brush your teeth because you're _expecting_ something?"

He stared down at her for a long moment before reaching out and interweaving his fingers in her hair. "What? Don't tell me that got your hopes up."

Sayuri felt a pleasant wave of warmth run through her. Biting her lip, she decided to try again. A hand lifted and her fingertips gently traced along the line of staples that went across his cheek. Moving over the warm pieces of metal, watching his sharp turquoise eyes half-close as he leaned into her touch.

For just a second, he had such an incredibly soft look to him. Though that may have been due to him feeling weak from being sick. As if to reassert his strength, he smirked and lifted her over his shoulder. "Well I don't wanna disappoint you."

"W-wait a second!" She braced her hands against his upper back, trying to push herself off and failing. "You still don't feel well, right? You look kind of pale-" Sayuri got her answer when she was dumped onto the bed with him falling unconscious on top of her.


	15. Chapter 15

NeonHorizon: I have another sort of Dabi story called "Painkiller". So...I mean, it's got other guys, too. But...yeah.

* * *

Sayuri was extremely enthusiastic when it came to teaching. Even if it was sometimes a little bit draining. In her excitement for the afternoon tutoring session, she had planned a lot of activities and grabbed a lot of supplies. Too much, it would seem.

Kurono let her into the house and seemed a little confused by the amount of stuff she was carrying. She tried to shrug it off, but then Chisaki seemed equally puzzled when he saw the various bags she had with her. Setting a bag down on the floor, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and felt herself starting to blush from embarrassment.

"Well…I wasn't sure where to start with tutoring so I thought that I'd bring a few options. We never had the chance to talk about what you want me to focus on with teaching her. So I brought a few activities and I brought an afternoon snack activity, too," she tried to explain.

"What's a snack activity?" Kurono asked this with a completely straight face.

"It's a surprise." Seeing the way that Chisaki stared at the bags, she held up a hand. "I-I made sure to sanitize everything."

Sharp golden eyes lifted and fixed on her soft lilac gaze. It was difficult to be sure what sort of expression he was making due to black medical mask covering the lower half of his face. He tugged at his gloves, pulling them up a little more, and gave her an approving nod.

"You really take your job seriously. I can respect that. Clearly, this is something you're passionate about." Chisaki approached her, finally breaking his intense stare to peer down into one of her bags. "I'm interested to see what you have planned. Of course, I'll be sitting in on your session today. You understand, don't you?"

She took a step back from him and attempted a small, polite smile. However, it was difficult when he was standing so close to her. The man's aura was intimidating, his stare making her a little uneasy. It was as if he was trying to stare into her soul and judge her worth. She had never met someone quite like him.

"Of course. Honestly…it's admirable. I've tutored kids a little in the past and you wouldn't _believe_ how many parents don't even check on their progress."

He tilted his head slightly, staring down at Sayuri. The fabric of his mask shifted a little near his nose, as if it was wrinkling or twitching behind the dark cloth. His features settled into a calm expression, almost as if he was pleased. "Kurono, get Eri from her room."

_Don't leave me alone with him._ Sayuri watched the other man walk off down the hallway and felt her heart sink a little. "So where will we be-?"

"How are your injuries? The last time you visited, you took Eri's cuts."

"Oh…I'm fine. It was no problem."

"Show me." Chisaki's eyes were locked onto hers again, with such intensity that it made her drop her gaze seconds later.

Sayuri hesitantly pushed up her sleeve and revealed the scar. It had finished healing, but it was still a little red. "See? It's fine."

"You have an interesting…_ability_. How long does it take for you to heal?" He leaned in a little, once again getting just a bit too close. Examining her scar and slowly inching a gloved hand toward her arm.

She stepped back from him as Kurono returned with Eri. "Hello, Eri-chan! Are you ready for your first tutoring session?"

The little girl seemed a bit confused as she locked eyes with Sayuri. She frowned curiously, staring up at the teacher for a moment before looking toward Chisaki. When he nodded, she rushed forward and held tightly to her arm. "I-I missed you!"

Sayuri felt like her heart was melting as she looked down at her. _She's so sweet! I'll help her learn enough to catch up to the other kids around her age so she can go to school someday. I have to do everything I can._

Crouching down to be at eye level with her, she smiled. "Are you hungry, Eri-chan? I brought a snack that we can make together."

"A…snack?" Eri gave her a puzzled look, tilting her head.

"Yep! It's going to be fun." Sayuri took her hand and looked toward Chisaki. "Do you have a kitchen we can use?"

It was a weird kitchen. Well-stocked, but with more food than she would have imagined a father, child, and father's friend would need. It was also extremely clean. Not in a normal way, but in a sterile sort of way.

_Okay, I need a knife for me to use and a spoon for Eri._ She found these items and set them down near the bag of snacks she brought, but paused when she saw Eri struggling to peer at what was on the countertop. The girl was just a little too short. In addition to this, Eri's long, wavy hair was hanging in wild tangles around her face.

Turning toward the doorway, where Chisaki and Kurono were currently lingering, she requested a step-stool for Eri. Kurono was sent to find one and she turned back to the little girl. "Is it okay if I pull your hair back for you? That way it won't get in your eyes while we're working."

The child stared up at her with wide, shining red eyes. "O-okay."

Sayuri gently ran her fingers through the kid's hair, working through the tangles. As she was pulling it back into a ponytail, she felt a pang of sadness. She was reminded of when she was Eri's age. Back when her mother treated her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Her mother would spend a long time brushing the tangles out of her hair and putting it into cute hairstyles. They would cook together or her mother would read to her.

She had not spoken to her mother since her last year of high school. From the day she chose not to apply to UA, her mother and father had begun to distance themselves from her. They spoke to her less and less. Any interaction she had with them was rather cold and impersonal. It no longer felt like she was their daughter. As if any connection they had to her was broken when she chose to follow her own dream.

Of course, what really caused the initial distance was when they chose to cater to Endeavor's demands rather than protect her. Sayuri's trust in them had broken when they forced her to heal his son. When they showed complete apathy in regards to her pain. When they said she should be honored to be asked to heal Shouto.

Sayuri brought out the bag of apples she had picked up at the store on the way there and sliced them as Eri watched. She demonstrated how to make an apple bunny, like the cute ones that were often in bento boxes. This was a simple snack activity that was pretty popular with her students and Eri seemed genuinely amazed when she saw the first completed bunny.

She made the first little cuts on another slice and handed it over to the girl so Eri could use a spoon to peel back the skin to make her own bunny. As she watched, Sayuri looked back on a fond, very old, memory. Visiting the Todoroki house to hang out with Fuyumi. Making apple bunnies with her friend and presenting them to Fuyumi's brothers. She remembered that Natsuo had said they looked too girly, but Touya had taken one and smiled. _What happened to Touya? I can't remember._

**Shift P.O.V**

"Ugh." Dabi looked down at the front of his clothes and grimaced. The weather had been warmer than usual. Sunny. Cloudless. No wind whatsoever. So he got cocky and got just a little too close to the burning corpses of his opponents. When the wind abruptly picked up, he was struck full on by a cloud of human ashes.

The layer of ash was too thick for him to be able to just brush it off. Sayuri would be able to smell it on him when he got home. That clinging scent of cooked meat and burnt hair. She never actually questioned it, but he was sure she had no idea what the smell really was. If she knew he was a murderer, her pure little heart would break apart.

At best, she might complain about the smell and say he smelled like death if he came home like this. Not that he would be disappointed; he actually thought her naiveté was pretty cute. She would scrunch up her nose and frown. She might try to tease him like she had the night before.

Dabi sauntered back to the apartment, thinking about how to handle it when she inevitably got upset about the smell of burned bodies that was clinging to him. _I know how to distract her_, he finally told himself. A smirk tugged at his lips and he licked at his burned lower lip, flicking at the staples near the corner.

It was past the time when she would be home, but he had wanted to take his time while he was out that day. After spending a majority of the previous day vomiting, he was determined to have some fun. Now, as he let himself into the apartment, he anticipated having some fun with Sayuri.

His smirk dropped as he found that she was not home. There was a note on the counter that had been written hastily; explaining that she had gone out and would be back later. Also that there was a box of takeout in the fridge.

He was disappointed, but at the same time a little glad for the extra time. Stripping off his ash-covered clothes, he shoved them into the washing machine and rinsed the ashes from his hair in the bathroom sink. Dabi put on some clean clothes and settled on the couch with his takeout to try to decide what to do now.

There was only one place she could have gone. After all, Sayuri only had one friend now. The Todoroki house. Dabi's eyes narrowed as he finished his meal and dropped the empty container on the coffee table. _She keeps going back there. If she's that much of a masochist…_His smirk returned and he ran his fingers through his still slightly wet hair.

As he left the apartment again, Dabi was thinking about Sayuri. He was thinking about all of the ways he could tease her. All of the fun things he could do once she was home. Although, if he wanted to be truly malicious, he knew he could just call her. She would be flustered and try to explain herself to Fuyumi while he described to her all of the things he had planned.

An evil grin spread across his face and the closer he got to his destination, the more he thought that this was a great idea. If nothing else, it would make her come back sooner. He pulled his phone from his pocket and brought up a picture he had snapped of her just a few days ago.

She had just come out of the bathroom and her long, snow-white hair was still hanging loose in semi-wet waves. Wearing one of his shirts and a pair of shorts. The shirt was a little too big and hung loose, dipping low on the chest and showing her collar bones. She was blushing bright pink in the picture so the image perfectly captured Sayuri's innocent nature.

Dabi was soon standing around the corner from his destination, tucked away in an alley. He leaned against a wall and examined the image again before finally going to her number. It started to ring and he could not wait for her to come hurrying out of the Todoroki house, just around the corner. Blushing red and perfectly flustered.

It rang three times before being sent to voicemail. Dabi's grin fell to a grimace and he stared down at his phone screen. Not about to leave a message, he tried again and found that her phone had now been turned off; he was sent straight to voicemail. _Seriously? Well…I guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson. I might've gone easy on you tonight, but now there's no way._

**Shift P.O.V**

Eri never seemed to actually smile. It was both sad and perplexing. Most of the children in Sayuri's class smiled almost constantly. They were always laughing and full of energy. Eri seemed sort of drained, but she was doing her best when it came to the lessons.

Sitting together at a table that Kurono set up in the kitchen, Sayuri watched as the little girl worked on a color by numbers page in one of the workbooks she had brought. It was astonishing that Chisaki had never taught her numbers, but she seemed to pick things up pretty quickly. She even colored inside the lines better than most of the kids in Sayuri's class.

"You're doing really well," the young woman assured her when she looked worried. "It's tough to learn at first, right? You're working really hard, though. As long as you practice, you'll get better at it. It's kind of like with quirks."

Footsteps approached the table and Chisaki stood beside Sayuri's chair, leaning down to examine Eri's work. "Eri. You need to stay inside of the lines. You're making a mess."

"I-I'm sorry." The child's voice was a small squeak as she paused in coloring.

"No, it's okay. It's like I said; it takes time to get really good at something." Sayuri felt her chair shift forward just a tiny amount as a gloved hand gripped the back of her seat, his knuckles just barely touching the back of her shoulder.

"She needs to strive to improve quickly," he argued. "I thought your goal was to get her caught up to her peers. Or maybe I misunderstood."

Sayuri turned her head to argue and found the man watching her with such intensity that she quickly looked away. "You…need to be patient with kids. They're sensitive."

"You're not a parent. I only want her to do the best that she can and I know she can do better than this. Don't you want what I want?"

"Of course." She shivered, feeling gloved fingers grip her shoulder.


	16. Chapter 16

Sayuri reached for her phone to check the time and felt guilt settle in the pit of her stomach. As soon as she turned it on, she saw three missed calls from Dabi. Of course, she knew about the first call. She had turned the phone off afterwards because Chisaki gave her a disapproving glare and she knew it was unprofessional.

"I'm sorry, Eri-chan. I need to head home." She saw tears fill the girl's eyes and it felt like her heart was being squeezed. Sayuri walked over to her side of the table and gave Eri a hug. "It's okay. I'll be back," she assured her. Turning her gaze to Chisaki, she tilted her head a bit. "Chisaki-san, you do want to continue with her tutoring…?"

He was still standing behind Sayuri's chair, one gloved hand gripping the back of it tightly. The muscles in the side of his neck tensed for a moment before he released the chair and strode over to their side of the table. "Of course. It's for Eri's benefit. We both want what's best for Eri, don't we?"

"Of course." She felt goose bumps rising on her skin beneath her sweater and Sayuri nervously ran her fingers along a stray lock of her pale hair. _Why do I feel so anxious? Something about him doesn't seem…safe. I don't know what it is, though. Every time he tried to touch me, it was like alarm bells went off telling me to avoid him. And when he touched my shoulder, it sent a chill down my spine._

Her eyes shifted back to Eri, who was struggling to try to let her hair down so she could return Sayuri's hair tie. "Oh. Let me help you, Eri-chan." She moved behind the girl and carefully removed the hair tie, running her fingers through Eri's pale, wavy hair afterwards. "Chisaki-san, what days would you like for me to come?"

Something in her gut told her that she needed to come back, even if he unsettled her. Chisaki Kai was intimidating, unsettling, without doing anything obviously malicious. She had no proof that he was hurting Eri in any way, but something told her that she needed to keep a connection with the little girl. Perhaps it was a maternal instinct, but she already felt protective of her.

The man's sharp golden eyes fixed on her lilac ones as they lifted from Eri. He tugged at the edges of his gloves, pulling them up higher. "I think she'd benefit the most if you came three times a week. Don't you agree? She has a lot to learn."

"I could…probably fit that in. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday?" She subconsciously moved to stand on Eri's left, putting herself between the child and her father.

"That sounds fine." He took a few steps closer and planted a gloved hand on the table beside her, leaning down toward the young woman. "Why don't you stay for dinner? I'm sure Eri would like it if you stayed for longer. Wouldn't you, Eri?"

"Dinner…?" Eri timidly reached up, taking Sayuri's sleeve and meeting her gaze when she looked down at the little girl. "Can you stay…for dinner?"

"I'd like to…I really would. But I have someone waiting for me at home. My boyfriend probably wants to know what's taking so long, so I really do need to head home now. I'm sorry, Eri-chan." She saw tears fill the girl's crimson eyes and she tried to offer a smile. "It's okay, though! I'll be back in two days and I'll bring something special."

When Sayuri turned back to Chisaki, she saw that his eyes had narrowed. Tapping gloved fingertips against the table's surface, he raised an eyebrow. "I'd forgotten. You have someone waiting for you at home. I'm sorry to keep you here longer than we'd planned. But, you know, controlling guys like that are _toxic_. They're _parasites_. A _disease_."

She was unable to take a step back so she did her best to put on a confident smile and bid him farewell. Thankfully, he moved back and she was soon leaving the building. Her heart was racing from the unsettling encounter and she knew her face was tinted pink as it dawned on her.

This would not be the first time it happened, of course. It was actually not uncommon for the single fathers of some of the students to become interested in one of the female teachers. Though it was usually her coworkers that pulled their interest. Oblivious Sayuri shook her head as she came to the conclusion that Chisaki kept trying to get close for that sort of reason.

Sayuri attempted to call Dabi on her way home, but there was no answer. Her heart dropped and she stared down at her phone screen as she walked down the sidewalk. _He's mad at me. I should've told him where I was going, but I was afraid he'd want to go with me._

Worry started to make her stomach twist into knots and she quickened her pace. She feared walking into the apartment and finding that he had taken his things and left. As she neared her building, tears were starting to form at the corners of her eyes. _If he's gone…I can't make him come back. I don't want him to leave, though! What am I going to do if he left and he won't answer-?_

A hand caught her wrist as she reached for the doorknob and Sayuri felt warm breath against the side of her neck. She stared at the hand holding her wrist as their thumb rubbed against her pulse point. Fair skin on the fingers and dark purplish scarring on the rest, held together with staples. "D-Dabi-?!"

"Took you long enough." His teeth nipped at her left ear and Sayuri jolted. His left arm slipped around her waist, fingers sliding beneath her belt and tugging. "You made me wait…and you ignored my calls. That's pretty rude."

"I'm sorry. I should've come home sooner, but I lost track of time and…"

"You lost track of time with _her_, right? Your friend Fuyumi." There was a slight edge to his voice as his fingers drew along her belt to the buckle. "What's with the tears, Sayuri?"

She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she felt him press against the back of her hips, his fingers toying with her buckle until it came open. "I-I tried to call you and when you didn't answer…I thought you were mad at me. I thought you might've left." Sayuri could feel his staples scraping over the side of her ear, his warm breath fanning over her skin and sending a pleasant shiver through her. She could feel warmth settling in her lower half and she pressed her legs closer together.

"I said I was going to keep you," he argued, his voice almost a growl. "I'm not letting you get away that easily. You're _mine_." His left hand unbuttoned her pants and slipped beneath the pale fabric, his fingertips meeting the soft fabric of her panties. "Are you going to unlock the door or do you want me to do this out here? I wouldn't mind slamming you against the door and doing you here, but you'd be scared, wouldn't you?"

Sayuri unlocked the apartment door and soon found herself being lifted. She clung to Dabi with her arms around his neck, letting him grab her bags from the ground and carry her inside. The door was locked, bags left near it, clothes discarded in a trail that led to her room. Not for the first time, she glanced briefly at the poster over her bed and felt a rush of shame before Dabi pulled her back to what was happening.

Her back hit the bed and she found him braced over her, heated fingertips trailing over the scar at her collarbone and slowly making their way down her body. She felt her breathing turn uneven, the warmth at her core growing to an absolute need. As he traced his fingers downwards, he latched his lips onto her collarbone beside her scar that matched his. Dabi's other hand moved to the left side of her chest as his left hand skimmed over her stomach, past her hips, and to her core.

His knee was planted firmly between hers and it made it that much easier for his hand to slip between her legs. The man's fingers traced over her lower lips for a moment as he smirked against her collarbone. He lifted his head and stared at Sayuri; sprawled under him with her pale hair spread across the pillow and her hands reaching forward to run through his hair.

"You know, I'd almost think you did it to tease me." His middle finger slid in and he saw her eyelids flutter. Her breathing hitched and her face was quickly going red. He moved it in and out at a lazy pace; not enough to bring her anywhere near the edge, but enough to make her want more. "You've got to be a masochist."

"What…?" She bit her lip, feeling him push a second finger in and then continue at the same agonizing pace.

"You keep going back to her, even after she let you get hurt. And you keep teasing me. That's got to be what this was about today, right? You went out with her, spent hours with her, ignored my calls. You wanted to really get me worked up so I'd punish you, right? _Tease_."

Sayuri's hips subconsciously rolled upwards, trying to get more from him. She tensed, feeling his other hand knead her chest. A thumb rubbed the peak of her breast and she released a sharp moan that made her immediately cover her mouth with a hand. It was all too embarrassing; the way his words sent waves of heat directly to her core, how his attempts to make her embarrassed just made it more intense.

She felt his fingers move apart, stretching her muscles, and she whimpered behind her hand. The wet sound of it was making it so much more difficult to not give in and agree. _Am I…like that? Why does hearing him talk this way make me feel more…turned on?_ Sayuri's other hand tangled in his dark hair and she lightly sank her nails into his scalp, earning a groan from him.

"Look at me." When she obeyed, Dabi greeted her with a smug grin. "You like this, don't you? I wonder if you could fit two more." He saw her shake her head and he snickered. "I've got a better idea anyway…but maybe later."

Sayuri found his fingers leaving her and had no time to wonder what he had planned next. Dabi moved her onto her hands and knees before he moved behind her. The warmth of his member against her core was the only warning before he slid all the way in. His hips met her rear and he wrapped an arm around her waist so her back was against his chest.

He kept them in this position for a while as he moved his hips, pushing into her at a slow, steady rhythm. His free hand went to the left side of her chest and he gradually pulled her up. "Put your arms around my neck," he growled beside her ear.

She obeyed, but kept her head down to hide her blush. Her eyes were closed as she focused on the feeling of him enter her over and over, pushing her very slowly toward her edge. Sayuri's eyes snapped open wide when she felt the hand that had been on her hip slide down between her legs. A fingertip pressed at the sensitive area above where he was connected to her and it sent shocks of pleasure through her body.

"I'm your only one, right?"

"What…? I mean, y-yeah."

"So I'm the only one that's giving this to you." There was definite smugness in his voice as he said this. His pace started to quicken, his thrust becoming erratic. "You know what I wanted to do?"

Sayuri bit her lip and slid her hands up to his hair, tangling in his dark locks. It forced a growl of pleasure from him and he started to go harder. Her pulse was racing, breathing uneven. There was tension building in her core, tightening gradually as he continued to push into her warmth.

He leaned down to her ear, licking along the top of the curve. Dabi bit down, harder than before, while at the same time trailing his left hand up to her neck. "I was gonna call you and tell you all of the stuff I had planned, while you were with your friend." He applied more pressure against that sensitive spot above where he was sheathed in her. "I have…so much I wanna do to you tonight."

The tension was nearing its peak from the combination of his touch, the way his hips drove into the back of hers, and the man's words. Her release came and it was intense. Her muscles tightened around him and her lips parted to let a moan escape. He went faster once he knew her edge came, the fingertips quickening their pace as they rubbed. He teased Sayuri, coaxing her toward another release, which had her seeing white when it came.

She was limp, tired, but he held her against his chest and continued until she had recovered. He waited until she was starting to get close again before slowing his pace. "Tell me how much you like it," he ordered.

Sayuri shivered as she felt the tip of his tongue flick at the curve of her ear. "I…I like it a lot," she muttered, embarrassed.

"You can do better. Tell me…what a masochist you are, Sayuri."

"Ngh…" She felt her face turning bright red and she was glad that she was facing away from him. "I-I'm a masochist." Her voice was just above a whisper as she said this, still embarrassed.

"You can do better," he persisted. "Tell me…how this makes you feel. You got so excited from me saying I'd punish you. You really get off on teasing me, huh?"

She lowered her head and bit her lip, hard. Thinking about it and feeling ashamed that this was actually really exciting her. "I…I like teasing you. And I like it when you punish me like this. It…feels amazing! Please…please do it some more!"

"You're…such a tease." He quickened his pace again and his hold on her tightened as he felt himself nearing the edge. He had been stopping himself, wanting to prolong this, but hearing her say that was just too much. His hips pounded into hers and he smirked at the sounds that escaped her.

When Sayuri felt him pulse in her, she tensed and felt heat flood her core. He collapsed onto his side on the bed, still holding her against him. _I can't tell him where I really went today. I don't think he'd take it well._

"As soon as I'm ready, we're going again." Dabi ran his fingers through her pale hair and snickered. "If I have my way…you'll be too sore for work tomorrow."


	17. Chapter 17

Sayuri was dreaming of something that happened a long time ago. A memory from when she was a kid. She had taken someone's injuries at school and it hurt a lot more than she expected. Throughout the day, she tried to put on a brave face and pretend it was no big deal.

She had even gone to the Todoroki house after school to play with Fuyumi and her brothers. It was difficult to hide her pain, but she pushed herself because she did not want to worry her friend. Sayuri managed to keep up the act for quite a while before it finally became too much.

Little kid Sayuri broke down in tears as the pain finally became too much to hide and she had sobbed until she hiccupped. When Fuyumi went to get an adult, Sayuri had begged her not to, but Fuyumi insisted. As soon as she was out of the room, her brother Touya sat down beside Sayuri.

She remembered him reaching over and grabbing her hand, asking if she was okay and asking what happened. Even in her hazy dream, there was a small frown on the boy's face as he told her not to let herself get hurt for other people. Sayuri had started crying even more at that point, hiccupping violently until she was pulled into a hug. Being held until she finally stopped crying and Fuyumi returned without an adult.

Opening her eyes now, Sayuri blinked away tears from the dream. She felt an arm wrapped around her waist, a warm body pressed against her back. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt lips brush against the back of her neck, his arm tightening around her. "Dabi?"

"Go back to sleep," he muttered, barely awake.

"I have to go to work." She struggled, trying to pull herself out of bed. Feeling a hand slip between her thighs, heat rushed to her face. "Dabi…I'm serious! I have to go to work!"

"Just say you're sick." He still sounded groggy; his voice a little rough. His other arm slid around her waist to pin her against his chest, the hand between her legs slipping higher. "You know you want more."

Gritting her teeth, Sayuri closed her eyes. As much as she would love to be able to just stay in her bed and cuddle up with him, she had to go to work. They were still missing a teacher and she knew that the temp would need help. In an act of desperation, she arched her back and reached her hands back to thread into his hair. Her bottom rubbed against his lower half and he groaned, his lips latching onto the side of her neck to try to muffle it.

"If you're _good_…maybe I'll give you something _special_ tonight," Sayuri stated.

Dabi's face drew away from her neck and he grinned evilly. "What? You seriously think you can bribe me? That's…almost cute."

"Please. I promise. I'll…make it worth your while."

He frowned and loosened his hold on her. "Fine."

As Sayuri got ready for work, Dabi stayed on the bed with the quilt settled at his midsection to keep his chest uncovered. He ran a hand through his spiky black hair, watching her get dressed and smirking when she pulled her hair back. The second she spotted the mark he had left on her neck, her face turned red and she decided to leave her hair down.

"What's wrong? You think those kids haven't seen that kind of thing on their parents?" he taunted.

"It's…unprofessional," she muttered. She grabbed her jacket and her bag, ready to leave, but stopped when she heard Dabi' speak again.

"You were with your friend last night, right?"

"Yeah. I was with Fuyumi." Sayuri looked at him over her shoulder as she was about to leave the room. _Does he know where I really went? How would he know, though? He would've said something, right? Unless he's really mad. And now he's going to leave me. _Her heart started to sink at this thought.

His eyes narrowed a bit and the corner of his mouth lifted, the staples along his cheek catching the light in a way that made them glint. "I don't have any reason to be _jealous_…right? You don't swing that way."

Her face became the most vibrant shade of red it had ever turned before. "N-no! I didn't…I don't…it's not…we're just friends! We're best friends! Why would you even think-?"

"You're…pretty close with her. I don't know." He half-shrugged and ruffled his hair, still wearing that lazy, lascivious smirk. "You know, I don't like sharing."

"You…don't have anything to worry about." She left the apartment with her heart racing, trying to fight down the blush that had taken over her face. It felt like her face was burning from ear to ear. _How am I going to focus today at work?!_

**Shift P.O.V**

Dabi heard the door lock behind her when she left. Falling onto his back on the bed, he felt irritated. Having her leave every day was getting annoying. He never got a full day with her where her attention was undivided. He had actually thought that after the intense night they had together, she would want to stay home.

His smirk returned when he remembered the way she moved as she was getting dressed. It was pretty clear that her hips were sore and he was able to still see fading handprints on her hips from where he had gripped them. _Maybe if we do it again tonight, that can keep her home. I don't mind putting in the work when it's for something like this._

After sleeping for a while longer, he finally pushed himself out of bed and got dressed. Before leaving the room, Dabi paused to look at the framed poster above the bed again. The hero Calorie Bomb grinned down at him. Narrowing his eyes, Dabi got closer.

This hero, always grinning. Before Dabi started living there, this hero was probably what Sayuri looked forward to seeing when she got home. She was greeted by the image when she went to bed and she was greeted by it when she got up. The idea made Dabi want to burn the poster.

"You know…it's pretty funny," he started, grinning back at the hero. "She's never even mentioned you. Do you seriously think she loves you? That's…_pathetic_. I bet she doesn't even think about you. No room. Not when _I'm_ here."

Staring up at the poster, turquoise eyes meeting pale blue ones, Dabi lifted his left hand and let little blue flames start to form. It was so tempting. All it would take was for him to press his hand against the poster and destroy it. No more Calorie Bomb, hanging on the wall like the ghost of an ex; as he was sure this guy had to be Sayuri's ex-boyfriend or something.

Finally, Dabi lowered his hand and let the flames die. "You know what?" he spoke to the poster again. "I'm gonna find you. I'll find you…and I'll burn you to ashes. You should feel honored. I'm putting you above Endeavor on my list. And when you're gone, this poster will be worth a lot more, right?"

**Shift P.O.V**

"Oh? Who's this?" Sayuri crouched down beside one of her students, peering at the weird drawing the little girl had made. It was a black, scribble-like, vaguely humanoid figure with a dark purple outline, wearing a white shirt and a vest. It had bright yellow eyes without pupils and seemed to be staring into Sayuri's soul._ Is this something she saw in a nightmare? Is this what a sleep paralysis demon looks like?!_

"This is my mom's friend!" the child answered, smiling.

"Your mom's friend? He looks…_interesting_."

"He's cool! He's…really, really cool! Kurogi-!"

"Didn't your dad leave your mom?" a little boy interrupted.

"Hey! Guess who just earned himself ten minutes in the corner and lost crayon privileges for the rest of the day!" Sayuri gave the boy a stern look and pointed toward the corner. Turning to the girl again, she smiled. "Michiko-chan, your mom's friend sounds pretty cool. Want to tell me more about him?"

Throughout most of the day, Sayuri's thoughts kept wandering to Eri. She thought of fun activities they could do the next time she went for tutoring and she was starting to get excited, but then thought about Chisaki. The unsettling way he watched them and the way he kept trying to touch her. There was something about it that added an extra layer of creepy, but she was unable to pinpoint it.

Every so often, single dads would try to flirt with her. Somehow, the way that Chisaki acted felt different. Of course, she had no idea why. There was no way to even bring this up to any of the other teachers because there was no obvious reason for her to feel creeped out. The others would laugh and say she was overreacting to his advances.

He was attractive, polite, and he seemed to be well-off, but there was still just something about him that made her anxious. She wondered if that was why he was single. She also wondered why Eri's mother had left. He never alluded to why the woman had abandoned her own daughter.

At the end of the day, Sayuri was with the last of her students outside as he waited to be picked up by his father. Thinking about going home made her feel excited. More than anything, she wanted to go home and snuggle up against Dabi. Of course, she had promised him something for letting her get ready for work. Just thinking about that gave her a fluttery, warm feeling.

"Naosu-sensei, if I knew you liked this shirt so much then I'd wear it more often. Are you _blushing_?" a male voice teased her.

She shook out of her thoughts and half-smiled at the young father that was approaching. His son ran over to greet him and she expected that to be the end of it, but he continued to walk over to her. "Hello," she greeted him in a professional tone. "He made something special for you during craft time today."

The young man ruffled his kid's hair and beamed. "I can't wait to see it! Hey, Naosu-sensei, I have a question for you. Do you like yakiniku? It's his favorite and I know a good place if you want to-"

Sayuri held up a hand. "Sorry, but…I couldn't do that."

"Awww! Why not? Not in the mood for yakiniku? If you're craving something else, we could go somewhere else. I'll treat." He was still smiling warmly, a faint hint of pink to his cheeks.

She prepared to protest again, but suddenly felt an arm slip around her waist from behind. A hand lifted, fingers running through her pale hair and pulling it away from her neck to display the mark Dabi had left that morning. Her face went red at the same time as the young father's.

"You always hit on teachers…or is Sayuri special?" Dabi taunted. His arm tightened around her waist and he seemed smug. "Seems kind of creepy, doesn't it? Hitting on your kid's teacher." In a lower tone, he said something that made blood gush from the young father's nose. "You wanna fuck her, right?"

Thankfully, her student was no longer paying attention. However, the boy's father looked like the blood vessels in his face might burst from the bright blush that overtook his face. He held a hand over his bleeding nose and grabbed his son's hand to quickly usher the kid away, refusing to make eye contact with Sayuri or Dabi.

"Why did you say that?!" Sayuri covered her face with both hands, a shiver running down her spine when she felt the staples down his chin scrape over the side of her neck. She felt his fingers slip into the pocket of her jeans as his hips pressed against her bottom. "Dabi, I-I'm serious! My reputation-!"

"What? You really think he'll tell someone? What're they gonna do?" His lips met the sensitive skin of her neck and he grinded against her, drawing a quiet whimper from Sayuri before she bit her lip. "If he tells anyone…you could just tell them about how he was creeping on you."

"…I couldn't do that…" she muttered. _At least no one's around to see this. This is so embarrassing! But it…still feels good._ A warmth settled in her lower half and she wanted to tell him they should go home.

He was quiet for a second before holding out his left hand in front of her, keeping a good distance. A beautiful blue flame formed in the palm of his hand, mesmerizing as it danced in the winter breeze. "If you want…I could just take care of him."

Sayuri, sweet and innocent, snickered and shook her head. "Isn't that overkill?" she teased, fully believing that he had been joking.

As soon as Dabi realized that she thought it was a joke, he let the flame die and released her. Stepping back, he was about to tease her some more, but found her grabbing his hand and quickly starting off down the sidewalk in the direction of their apartment. A smirk tugged at his lips as he came up beside her. "Someone's feeling bold today. I got you that excited?"

Her face turned pink and she bit her lip. Looking down for a moment, she squeezed his hand in hers. "S-so what?"

"Heh. That's cute. But…" He brought his lips down beside her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "You really think you can top me?"

Sayuri felt like her stomach did a flip. She quickened her pace a little, trying to ignore the smug grin that was taking form on his face. When they finally got back to her apartment, she decided to try to surprise him. As soon as the door closed and locked behind them, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed him against the door as her lips latched onto his.


	18. Chapter 18

She hated to admit it, but Sayuri was afraid that Dabi would leave her. It was usually a fear that she could push to the back of her mind and not focus on. When it did surface, she started to get worried. She wondered if he might be bored with her or that he might find somewhere better to go.

Sayuri had so few people that she was close with. After her parents disowned her, most of her extended family did the same. Other than Fuyumi and Dabi, there was no one else in Sayuri's life that she really felt she could reach out to if she needed help.

Keeping him pinned against the door, she broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his chest for a moment. Basking in the warmth that radiated off of him. Her heart beating faster and faster as he wrapped his arms around her. _I don't want to lose him. He and Fuyumi…they're all I have. I don't want to be alone!_

"You're giving up already?" he taunted, a hand resting on her lower back. "I thought you wanted to be on top." Dabi leaned down to her ear, his other hand moving to push stray locks of snow-pale hair out of way. "I knew you couldn't handle it."

"I can handle it," she argued, leaning back. Sayuri's soft lilac eyes locked onto his bluish-green ones, narrowing when she saw his amused expression. "Don't rush me."

His eyes half-closed when her arms lifted more, her fingers tangling in his dark, spiky hair and giving a gentle tug. A quiet grunt escaped him, his hips pressing forward as his hand pushed against her lower back to keep her against him. "Tease."

Feeling a spark of confidence now, Sayuri smirked and tilted her head back to see his face. She ground her hips forward against him, blushing pink when she felt him rub between her legs. "Are you challenging me?"

A lascivious grin broke across his face. "Yeah. I wanna see what you can do." His left hand caressed her cheek and he watched her lean into his touch. Rubbing his thumb along her lower lip, he brought his face closer to hers. "Let's see how long you can last like this."

Sayuri made up her mind that she was not going to back down from the challenge. She would show him. She would make him feel so good that he would never want to leave her. It might be difficult though; she was already starting to feel warm and excited.

Her right hand gripped the front of his shirt and she nudged a knee up and between his thighs. Rubbing her thigh against his groin and hearing his breathing hitch. Sayuri leaned up to the side of his neck and latched her lips onto his skin. She felt the hand on her back lower further and press against her rear, pinning her forward against him.

Pushing away from him, she grinned a little sheepishly. Seeing him like this, even if he was only flustered a small amount, was already rewarding. His breathing was already heavy and she felt a rush of heat to her lower half. Sayuri reached up, running her fingertips along the side of his face, and pressed a quick kiss against his lips before she turned away.

Her hand caught his and she led him toward the bedroom. Of course, he had no complaints and went along willingly. Dabi stripped off his jacket as he entered the room and allowed her to push him onto his back on the bed. When she straddled his waist, he immediately grabbed her hips and rolled his hips up so he could grind against her.

Sayuri bit her lip, momentarily thinking she should just let him have control. Summoning some confidence, she grabbed his wrists and held them down at his sides. "Stay."

"Make me." His tone was heated, taunting. Nonetheless, he kept his arms down and let her continue.

She moved downward, her fingertips trailing along his chest over his shirt and stopping at his belt. Sayuri opened it and slowly dragged her fingers along the bulge that was forming. She heard him grunt again, his hips pushing up, and she lifted her gaze to meet his. A smirk tugged at Sayuri's lips, feeling more confident than ever before. "What? You can't take-?"

"I let you have fun. Now it's my turn." Fingers threaded into her pale hair and he tugged, urging her to move up again.

Sayuri's back hit the bed and her clothes were soon on the floor with his. Before she could question what he was going to do, his elbows hooked beneath her knees and her lower half was lifted off the bed. Lips latched on her most sensitive area and two fingers slid inside. Her hands went to his hair, pushing him closer on reflex and seeing stars from the intense pleasure that came from his actions.

Dabi's eyes met hers briefly and he seemed to think this was not enough. Attacking with fresh determination, his lips and tongue put pressure at all the right spots and his fingers pushed in deeper and faster. He clearly wanted more of a reaction from her.

It felt like a knot was forming in her lower half, getting tighter and tighter with each push of his fingers. She felt his tongue flick against a bundle of nerves and she threw her head back against the pillow, gasping his name and arching her back. So close to the edge, but denied as he pulled away. She lifted her head to protest and her eyes widened as his mouth covered hers.

An arm wrapped around her and he plunged in hard, sending her over the edge in that one movement. Her moan was muffled by his lips and he smirked into the kiss. When his hips started to move, it was fast. He had let her tease him for long enough and now he was desperate to get his own satisfaction. Pounding his hips into hers, he moved his lips down to the side of her neck.

Sayuri's arms wrapped around him, keeping her fingers in his hair and pulling gently as he continued to hammer her down into the mattress. Overstimulation had her eyes watering, but she could feel another climax quickly approaching. His name left her lips in a cry as it hit and she felt him start to pulse.

The hold on her tightened and he groaned as he pushed in all the way, one last time. Dabi rested his head beside hers on the pillow, keeping himself buried in Sayuri as they both panted and basked in the afterglow. He soon fell onto his side, but had his arms around her. Sleepily looking at her and smirking. "You're too much of a tease to be on top."

She flushed red and looked away as his eyes closed. "I tried," she quietly argued. "You just got too excited."

The two remained this way for a long time and just as she wondered if Dabi had dozed off, she saw his eyes open again. Her thoughts strayed to her worry that someday he might leave her. "I…I love you," Sayuri confessed, her heart racing. "You wouldn't leave me…would you?"

He was obviously sleepy. Normally, he would have tried to go another round before dozing off, but it seemed like he had been busy that day. Something had tired him out before she had her turn. "Don't make me say sappy stuff like that," he muttered, pulling her tighter against him. "I said I was keeping you. You're not getting away that easily."

**Shift P.O.V**

It was the best sleep he had had in a while. He usually hated waking up and getting out of bed, but this time he was okay with it. Dabi got up when Sayuri did and he got dressed, following her around the apartment as she got ready for work.

_Didn't know she had it in her_, he thought with a smirk as he remembered how she had teased him. Just thinking about it was making him excited again.

"I made something special for lunch." Sayuri turned to him with a smile, clearly proud of what she had made. "You have to wait until noon, though, okay?"

Dabi tilted his head slightly and ran a hand through his spiky black hair. "Yeah, yeah. You know I'd rather eat-"

"Don't…I don't need that kind of excitement before work," she stammered, turning red. She pointed at the container in the fridge and attempted to give him a stern look, but he in no way took it seriously. "For later. Oh. By the way…I'm going to be late coming home tonight."

"What?" He had fallen into thoughts about what he would do when she got home and was thrown off by this news. "You're going to see her again?"

She was standing with her back to him now, packing away her lunch in her bag. "I…well, yeah. I have plans tonight. I'm sorry. I'll be home around-" A squeak escaped her as arms wrapped around her from behind and a chin rested on the top of her head. "Dabi? I have to go to work."

"We've got enough time. If we do it fast enough-" He stepped back when she turned around quickly and leaned up to kiss him. His eyes half-closed and before he could grab her, Sayuri had darted out of reach with her bag.

"I'll see you tonight! I'll bring something good for dinner, okay?" She called this over her shoulder and bowed her head, trying to hide her blush as she left.

Dabi's eyes narrowed on the locked door and he went back to her room. Sprawling on his back, he crossed his arms behind his head. _Fuyumi, huh? Can't believe I'm jealous of someone like her._ He grimaced and stretched a little, barely able to hold back a yawn.

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri had a long, exhausting day at school. The temporary teacher who was covering Namimoto's class was unprepared and easily overwhelmed by having so many students so Sayuri had been forced to step in multiple times. Teaching two classes was wearing on her physically and mentally.

_And now I'm here again._ She stared at the house, standing a good distance from the front door as she felt an uneasy sensation in her gut. Sayuri frowned and lowered her head. _Eri. It's all for Eri. I should just ignore her father and focus all of my attention on her. He probably won't stick around this time._

Taking a deep breath, she went to the door and knocked. A minute passed before it opened and she was greeted with Kurono's slightly amused stare. "Good afternoon, Kurono-san. I'm here for Eri's tutoring session," she announced, trying to not let her fatigue leak into her voice.

A tight smile formed on his lips in response. "Right. Come in." He opened the door wider and moved aside to let her enter. "What do you have planned today?"

Sayuri walked down the hall with him, fidgeting with the bag she was carrying. "I have some new activity sheets and I brought a coloring book that's about science."

His eyebrows raised when he heard this. "A science coloring book?"

"They're actually pretty popular with my class," she explained.

"Are you making snacks again?"

Remembering how intensely he and Chisaki had watched last time, she felt a little amused. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she nodded. "I'm going to show her how to make a rice omelet and decorate it." Despite saying this with confidence, Sayuri was a little nervous. She had spent her lunch break obsessively watching tutorials on this so she could look like she knew what she was doing.

She was greeted with a hug from Eri when she entered the little girl's room. Smiling, she hugged back and crouched down to Eri's level. "Are you ready for your tutoring today, Eri-chan?" The girl nodded, her large red eyes sparkling when Sayuri opened her bag and handed her a box of fresh crayons.

"So many colors…" she marveled.

"It has sixty colors in this box," Sayuri told her. "And I have a new coloring book. We can start on that after the worksheets, okay?" She ruffled Eri's long, pale hair and grinned when she nodded. "Where's your dad?"

"Kai's busy with something. He'll be here later." Kurono entered the room, closing the door behind him. "I'll hang around until he's done."

"Oh. Does Chisaki-san work from home?" She let Eri lead her over to the little desk and sat on the floor near it as the little girl took the chair. _What kind of work does he do? If he can afford a house like this…?_

Kurono sat on the floor as well, one leg bent with his arm loosely wrapped around it so he chin could rest on his knee. "Yeah, something like that. Kai's a pretty busy guy."

_What's his relationship with Eri's father?_ She pushed that thought away and put on a modest smile. "It's…so nice that he makes time for his daughter, though. It's refreshing. A lot of young parents don't realize how important it is to be involved in their kid's education." She beamed, putting on her best teacher act. "You, too, Kurono-san. I think it's great that you're so involved."

The man's eyes moved from Eri to Sayuri and he smirked. "Yeah. I guess I'm just a really caring guy. Hey. Mind if I look at the other stuff you brought for today?" Kurono moved to sit next to her without waiting for an answer.

"Oh. Uh…sure thing. Just a second." She turned to rummage in her bag for the other supplies and turned pink when she realized that her long, snow-colored hair had whipped him across the face. "Ah! Sorry! Are you okay, Kurono-san?"

He had a hand lifted to his face, his nose twitching slightly. "Lemon?"

"What? Oh. My shampoo. Sorry. Is it too strong?" Sayuri had thought it was a light enough scent. She knew how sensitive some people were to aromas.

"No. Just reminds me of cleaning stuff." Kurono held out a hand to take the coloring book, flipping through it with half-interest when it was handed to him. The smirk from before curved his lips as he looked at her. "I bet Kai would be into it."


	19. Chapter 19

"Sayuri, are you okay? You look kind of…" Fuyumi trailed off, not wanting to offend her. She frowned and leaned over, staring at the dark bags beneath her friend's eyes. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"

She sat there for a moment, zoned out, and finally realized that Fuyumi was frowning. Sayuri shook her head a bit and attempted a smile. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You haven't been staying up late, have you?"

"No, no! I'm fine, really! I'm just…a little bit sleepy. It's not a big deal." In truth, Sayuri felt ragged. She had been tutoring Eri for almost three weeks. Working a full-time job as a kindergarten teacher, rushing to tutor Eri three times a week as soon as she got off work. It was still a wonder that Dabi had so readily accepted that she was just visiting Fuyumi more often.

_I feel like I'm going to pass out. I can't skip out on this, though. It's been forever since I actually got to hang out with Fuyumi._ She sipped her tea and glanced toward the door warily. Fuyumi had said that it was just her and her brothers that were home, but Sayuri was still on edge.

"You're still tutoring that little girl, aren't you?"

Sayuri slouched a little, holding her cup of tea tighter with both hands. "Well…yeah. I can't just leave her alone."

"She has her father, though. Sayuri, you don't have to do everything, okay? You look like you haven't been sleeping," Fuyumi finally pointed out.

"I've been sleeping," she argued. _It's just not much. It's only five or six hours. I'm staying up late to think of new lesson plans for my class and separate lesson plans for Eri. Not to mention studying recipes. I feel like I'm starting to come apart. I hate feeling like this, but I can't just abandon Eri!_

The other woman sighed in frustration and leaned across the table, setting a hand on Sayuri's shoulder. "Listen. If you run yourself ragged like this, how can you lead a class? It will be bad for your class and for that girl if you're not able to think clearly. You know sleep-deprived teaching is just as bad as drunk teaching."

Sayuri snorted and shook her head. Unfortunately, her fatigued brain was now conjuring up the image of her friend Fuyumi trying to lead a class while drunk and it was too funny for her to not laugh at. "You shouldn't drink before you teach!"

"And you shouldn't teach before you get a full night's sleep!" Fuyumi stated firmly, ignoring the laughter. "Look at me, Sayuri. I want you to promise me right now. Call that girl's father and tell him that you need some time off. Okay? Promise me."

"It's not that easy." Sayuri frowned and slouched again, her snow-pale hair falling around her face. "It's hard to explain…but I don't like leaving her alone with him. I mean, that's dumb, right? He's her dad. And he hasn't done anything to show he's a threat to her. Not in front of me, anyway. I'm…trying to get some evidence, if there _is_ anything going on."

She finished her cup of tea in a gulp and sighed. "I just want to help her. I mean, it's really hard to explain this. She's not…_normal_. Like, she doesn't really smile. She doesn't ask for stuff, like kids her age do. She does whatever I ask and she's really polite. I'd chalk it up to being raised well, but it's like I can almost think she's afraid of something. She won't tell me that something's wrong, though."

Fuyumi listened intently, her own frown deepening. When Sayuri finished, she lowered her head. "I understand where you're coming from. You have a gut feeling that something isn't right."

"Exactly! I did a home visit…and everything checked out; she has all of the necessities and her dad is pretty well-off. It's just like an itch that I can't shake off. Like something isn't right. I wish I could just take her out of there, but-"

"But that would be kidnapping," Fuyumi finished for her. "And then her father could have you arrested and she might be worse off than before."

"It's so frustrating. She's such a sweet kid. I want to help her, but I don't know what else I can do besides show up and spend time with her."

Fuyumi poured some more tea for them both, seeing that Sayuri's cup was empty. "So what's her father like?"

Sayuri stared down at the steaming cup, goose bumps raising on her skin just thinking about Chisaki. "He's around our age and he's raising her by himself. Well…I guess he does have this friend that's always there. But I don't really know what their relationship is, to be honest. He works from home and he makes a decent living. He just…isn't very affectionate with his daughter."

"He might just be unsure of himself. If her mother left them recently, he's probably not sure of how to be a parent on his own."

"He…keeps trying to touch me." She saw Fuyumi's face go red and she shook her head. "N-not like that! Get your mind out of the gutter! No! He keeps…like…trying to touch my arm or one time he tried to touch my hair. It was really weird; especially since he's always wearing gloves, so it's not like he could actually feel anything. I don't know why, but it makes me nervous."

Fuyumi began to say something, however she was interrupted by the dining room door sliding open behind her. She saw Sayuri tense and quickly lower her eyes to the table top. The young woman turned to look over her shoulder and greeted her father quietly, commenting that he was home earlier than usual.

Sayuri's hands were shaking so she gripped the cup of tea tightly, trying to hide her anxiety. She bit the inside of her cheek so hard that she tasted blood. It felt like her stomach was about to toss up everything she had eaten that day. _Why? It's been so many years so why am I still so afraid?_

Memories flashed to the front of her mind. That voice demanding she take his son's injury. The threat of not letting her leave the Todoroki house until she obeyed. That horrific pain and the tears she shed. The looks on her parents' faces when they heard what happened to her; so disgustingly proud of something that she had been forced to do.

She found another memory pushing all of this aside. A reassuring hug from a little boy that was just doing his best to comfort a crying little girl. _Touya._ Sayuri closed her eyes and tried to remember what had happened to him, but she drew a blank. _Did anyone ever tell me? I remember him being here and then…what?_

"Sayuri?" Fuyumi's soft voice cut through her thoughts and the other young woman gave her a concerned, kind of guilty, look.

"Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Um…my father asked-"

"Your cousin was accepted to UA. What's her quirk?" the man demanded.

She frowned and her eyebrows furrowed. "Um…I think…Ume's quirk is like _his_. It's powered by calories, but it's an energy blast." Sayuri's nervous nausea grew at the mention of her cousin because she now had to think of someone else. Someone she had not thought of in quite a while.

"I see."

"Oh! Sayuri, I didn't know that your cousin was-!" Fuyumi tilted her head when her friend stood up. "Sayuri?"

"I…I have to go. I'm sorry." She hurried away from the table with her bag, slipping past Endeavor to sprint out of their house as quickly as possible. Before anyone could notice the tears that were running down her cheeks.

Sayuri had managed to keep her mind off of the heartbreak for so long. It was easy when she was busy with work and it was even easier once Dabi entered her life. However, now he was at the forefront of her thoughts and it felt like her heart was being shredded with knives. Calorie Bomb.

**Shift P.O.V**

Dabi was standing at the end of the bed. Hands in his pockets, head tipped back to stare up at the hero's poster. He smirked and imagined it going up in flames, but he knew better. Sayuri would hate him if he destroyed it. His best option would be to convince her to take it down.

_You're not even a threat_, he thought as he scoffed at it._ I've been here for almost two months…and she's never mentioned you. You're not even in her head anymore. I mean…it's been how many years?_

The villain had started to hate the hero's grinning, cheerful face and encouraging note enough to do a little research on him. Calorie Bomb's real name was Shirayuki Umetarou. A hero with a quirk that allowed him to use the calories he ate to power himself up. The more calories, the stronger he got. Of course, he burned through them pretty fast and easily fell into low blood sugar fits.

A hero that went to UA and was born the same year as Endeavor. This had been interesting and, for a moment, Dabi thought it would be fun to try to pit the two heroes against each other. His hopes for this were ruined when he came across the most important information.

Calorie Bomb had been killed by a villain almost eight years ago. He had been dead for almost eight years. He left behind a wife, a very young daughter, and his elderly mother. So this only further satisfied Dabi's curiosity. Sayuri would have been a young teenager at the time that Calorie Bomb died and any love she had for him would have just been a girly little crush. She had been so young and he had a family. Just a stupid teenage crush, probably.

Dabi was still staring up at the poster when he heard the apartment door unlock. He went to the bedroom doorway and saw Sayuri leaning her forehead against the apartment door, her shoulders shaking and her pale hair hiding her expression from him. He raised an eyebrow and quietly left the bedroom.

As he got closer to her, he heard her sobbing and his mouth twitched into a frown. "Sayuri."

She jumped a little and half-turned to him, but then turned away again. Wiping at her face, trying to hide her tears from the villain. "Oh! Um…I thought you'd still be out."

His eyes narrowed a bit and he gripped her shoulder. "What're you crying about?" Dabi's frown became a scowl when she tugged away from him almost violently. Her back was still turned to him, one of her hands lifted to try to hide her face. "Sayuri."

"It's…nothing. I'm going to get dinner started, okay? Just…just wait on the couch or something." Sayuri's voice was breaking as she spoke, tears falling to the floor beneath her. She hurried away from him to the kitchen, clearly thinking he was going to just obey her wishes and sit on the couch. She was wrong.

Dabi was faster than her and soon had a grip on her upper arm. He turned her and pressed her back against the wall, his free hand going beneath her chin so she was forced to look at him. What he saw made him both furious and concerned.

Sayuri's face was bright pink, her lilac eyes shining wet and bright. Her cheeks were soaked with tears, her soft pink lips twisted in utter despair. This was a side of her that Dabi had never seen before. She got upset sometimes, but this was a level of sadness that she had never let him see.

He hated this. He had no idea how to deal with this. So he did the only thing that he could think to do. Dabi released her arm and her chin. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her against him and still scowling. "I don't know what happened…but you're coming with me."

Not waiting for her to respond, he took her hand and crossed the apartment to the couch. Dabi sprawled on the cushion and pulled her down on top of him, his arms slipping around her again to keep her in place. He felt a flicker of satisfaction when she rested her cheek against his chest.

**Shift P.O.V**

_That hug…reminded me of that one time. Touya._ Sayuri closed her eyes and listened to the steady beating of Dabi's heart, letting it settle her into a relaxed state. She felt his fingers run through her long, pale hair and it further calmed her. "I'm sorry you had to see that meltdown," she muttered. "Just…really embarrassing."

He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "You ugly cry."

"What?!" She pushed herself up a little and saw him smirking. "You…_jerk_." Sayuri pouted and looked away. "Don't tease me like that."

"How do you _want_ me to tease you?" Dabi's fingers tangled in her hair and he guided her face toward his. Their lips met as Sayuri's hands rested on his shoulders and his left knee pushed between her legs. His free hand slid along her side before a finger hooked into one of her belt loops.

She felt her pulse speed up and Sayuri slowly parted her lips when his tongue nudged between them. The kiss deepened and her stomach seemed to do a flip when his tongue rubbed against hers. It withdrew after a few seconds of this and his teeth closed on her lower lip, gently. Her eyes had closed when the kiss started, but opened quickly to focus on his bright turquoise ones.

When Dabi released her lip, he smirked and tugged at her belt loop to pull her closer. "That's the kind of teasing you like…right?"

Sayuri's face turned bright pink and she turned her head to the side. "I guess…I'm not really against it," she murmured, embarrassed.

"So…" He turned them both abruptly, pinning Sayuri down on the couch beneath him. His lips drew into a smirk, the light catching the staples in his skin to make them glint faintly for an instant. "I wonder how much teasing it's gonna take to make you tell me where you've really been going every other day."

Her eyes widened and she felt her heart skip a beat. "Wh-what?"

"I know you haven't been seeing Fuyumi. So you're gonna tell me the truth."


	20. Chapter 20

_I can't tell him the truth! He wouldn't understand! _Sayuri stared up at Dabi, her breathing shallow and fast as she felt his left hand settle on her hip. His fingertips slid just beneath the edge of her shirt, hot against her skin. Those sharp bluish-green eyes practically burning holes in her face as he stared down at her.

Sayuri was a terrible liar. She was very aware of it. Still, she was afraid to tell him the truth. He got jealous over her talking to a student's father and she knew he got annoyed when she talked about her male coworker. If he knew that she was going to a single dad's house to tutor a little girl every other afternoon, he would probably start steaming.

"I've been visiting Fuyumi," she attempted to lie. Her eyes shifted away from his and color rushed to her cheeks as his other hand planted next to her on the couch cushion. She could feel the heat coming off of his body and it ignited a warm, tingly feeling in her lower half. "I'm…serious."

"You've been seeing Fuyumi? Seriously? That's…kinda suspicious." Dabi's hand left her hip and reached up, pushing stray locks of white hair away from her face. His fingertips skimming lightly over her blush-heated cheeks. "You spend a lot of time with Fuyumi, right? So what's it about? You really like her or something?"

"We're just friends! We're best friends!" Sayuri's back arched as he leaned down, his lips brushing her ear momentarily before teeth scraped over her skin. She felt his left hand on her neck, gently holding her in place. "Dabi?"

"She's got brothers, right?" His voice sounded almost ragged when he spoke again, his knee pressing between her thighs and forcing a small squeak of surprise from her. "What'd you say their names are?"

"N-Natsuo and Shouto, but it's not like that! I don't like either of them!" she argued, finally lifting her hands. Sayuri's fingers tangled in his dark hair as she felt the staples on his cheek and at the corner of his mouth scrape over the side of her neck. He was rubbing his knee between her legs now, trying to draw more of a reaction from her. "The one I did like…I don't even know what happened to him!" Sayuri blurted out.

Dabi paused and he leaned back for a moment to gaze down at her with half-closed eyes. His mouth was contorted in confusion and he tilted his head ever so slightly. "What'd you say?"

She turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, her face turning unbearably hot with embarrassment. "When I was a dumb little kid…her oldest brother was my first love, okay? It's stupid. I never told anyone that before; not even Fuyumi. But I had a crush on her big brother and then he just wasn't there suddenly. I can't remember if anyone told me what happened, but anyway. I don't like anyone else in her family the way I liked him. Other than Fuyumi, everyone in that house makes me nervous now."

He always seemed to have something to say. Always some sort of smart comeback or teasing remark. This was the first time that he seemed to just freeze up. As if this information was somehow too much for him to process.

Finally, his lips drew into a grin and he leaned down, releasing her neck and sliding his hand downward to her chest. "Cute. You…really thought that'd keep me distracted. Sometimes I forget how damn innocent you are."

"What?" Sayuri bit her lip to smother a whimper as he kneaded her breast, her back arching again. She could feel herself heating up and she subconsciously bucked her hips forward, grinding slightly against his knee.

"If you want it, you've gotta give me what I want first." Dabi felt her fingers tighten in his hair, tugging at it and making him groan. He adjusted his position so his right arm was braced against the couch; letting him press his lower half against Sayuri's. "Just be a good girl and tell me. I'll make it you glad you did."

She wanted to keep it a secret. She wanted to keep him from actually being mad at her and possibly wanting to move out. What Dabi was doing right now made it difficult to even keep her thoughts clear. Sayuri's brain was becoming a haze of lust as she felt his hips grind against her, giving her just enough stimulation to make her crave more.

Realizing that she was adamant about keeping her secret, he decided he had to push her more. He was determined to get the truth out of her one way or another. To be honest, this was what he was probably hoping for. If the maniacal, lascivious grin on his face was any indication.

Dabi took both of her wrists in his right hand and got off the couch, pulling her with him. He sat on the floor in front of the couch and put Sayuri between his legs so her back was against his chest. His ankles hooked around hers, keeping her legs open and making her pulse race with panic. He could feel it in her wrists and when he leaned down to her ear, her breathing hitched. "I'm kinda glad you wanted to make this difficult. This is gonna be fun."

"W-wait a second! What-?" Sayuri threw her head back with a loud gasp as he latched on the side of her neck, sucking at her pale skin to leave a mark. She could feel his left hand sliding forward over her hip, making quick work of opening her pants. Her heart was pounding in her chest, heat pooling in her core as she stared down at his hand.

Fingers slipped beneath delicate pink fabric and Sayuri closed her eyes. Her breathing was uneven and she winced when she felt those heated fingertips slide along her sensitive skin. The anticipation combined with what he had done earlier and it caused a warm slickness that made it easy for him to slip one digit inside. He pushed in all the way to the last knuckle and then drew out to add another.

"This isn't fair," she panted. Her voice sounded weak, begging. Sayuri's hips moved and she felt his excitement rub against her lower back.

"Nothing's fair," he murmured, his mouth skimming along her neck up to her ear. "Keep your eyes open."

"Ngh…" She obeyed and felt her face turn a glowing shade of red. Staring at where his hand disappeared beneath the fabric. Sayuri turned her head to say something to him and her lips were quickly covered by his. The hand holding her wrists in front of her let go and she immediately put her right hand over his left hand. Feeling him pull back before pushing in again, blending with the hot and tingly pleasure that came each time he did.

Dabi was the one to break the kiss and smirked. "So where do you keep going?" It felt like he had momentarily forgotten why he was doing this and suddenly remembered. "You're out late…every other day after work. And on the weekend. You've been looking pretty drained. So where do you keep going?"

"I told you-!" Sayuri moaned quietly, feeling him add another digit. Stretching her muscles more and continuing the same pace he set before.

"Come on. You don't want to test me, Sayuri." Dabi's movements turned rougher. Faster. Plunging in and back out so she was rapidly being pushed toward the edge. He could feel her tensing up, hear her breathing turn ragged as she whimpered and begged under her breath.

A knot of pleasure had started to form in her lower half and Sayuri could feel herself getting so close to the edge. She rocked her hips forward to meet his hand, her lilac eyes glazed over with lust as she felt herself right at the edge of euphoria. His hand suddenly stopped moving.

She whimpered and dug her nails into the top of his hand. "Please…please don't stop! Please! You have to finish!"

"I'm not gonna keep going if you're gonna lie to me," he teased. His fingers drew out, sliding over the warm and sensitive skin. Spreading slickness along her slit and finally stopping near the top. "Let's change it up. Maybe this'll make you talk."

"W-wait!" A louder moan escaped Sayuri as his fingertips pressed at the extremely sensitive nub and started to rub it. Her need was escalating quickly. She needed the satisfaction or she was sure she would go insane. As he teased her towards the edge again, she finally gave in.

"I…I was hired to tutor a kid," she started. Immediately, he rewarded her by going faster. He listened to the cries, squeaks, and moans that escaped her as he coaxed her toward her release. When she got closer, he grinned and pushed four fingers in as deeply as he could while he finished rubbing with his thumb. Her muscles tightened around him, a loud moan erupting from her as she leaned against him for support.

"Aren't you a good girl? Why didn't you say so to begin with?" He started to slide his fingers out and then slipped his hand out of her jeans. "Doesn't seem like such a big deal."

Sayuri bowed her head, letting her snowy locks fall around her reddened cheeks. "Her father is single…and he hired me to tutor her. I was afraid you'd be mad and you'd leave, but-"

"Who said I'm not mad?" Dabi's voice was a growl as he said this. He moved away from her and got onto the couch again; lying back so he took up both cushions. Crossing his arms behind his head, he glared at the ceiling with narrowed azure eyes. "Can't blame me. Who's to say he's not gonna try something with you?"

"I wouldn't do anything like that, though," she argued. "I…really like you. A lot." She wanted to say something else. She wanted to tell him she loved him, even though he was pouting like a spoiled child in this moment.

"How much do you like me?"

Sayuri, normally so innocent and pure, climbed onto the couch. She straddled his waist and leaned down to kiss him. "…I love you…" Her voice was almost too soft to understand, but he could tell what she said when he felt her fingers working on his belt.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the apartment door. It was the worst possible time for a visitor and as Sayuri looked over her shoulder at the door, she had no idea who it might be. She never had visitors. She visited other people, but no one ever really came over.

Completely undeterred by the knocking at the door, Dabi tightened his grip on her hips and continued to push himself into her. "Just ignore it."

"But someone's right outside my door!" she hissed. She bit back a moan as he went particularly deep and caught sight of his smirk seconds before he repeated the action. "D-Dabi, please!"

"Oh? You're begging for more already? Want to see if I can fit more in there?" He let go of her hip and teasingly trailed his fingertips toward her warmth.

"No…just…ngh! It feels good, but we have to stop! What if it's a neighbor?" Sayuri was trying to keep her voice down to a whisper, but it was hard to concentrate when he was still trying to overload her with pleasure.

"It's nobody important," he argued. Dabi sat up, leaning his back against the arm of the couch and pulling her chest against his. Bouncing her on his lap, driving deeper and harder into her, he released a groan that sent heat straight to her core. Her muscles tensed around him and he became determined to push her over the edge.

"Sayuri? It's Fuyumi! I wanted to make sure that everything's okay!" a familiar female voice called through the door.

He brought his lips near Sayuri's ear as his hips went still. "Tell her you're fine and make her leave."

She took a deep breath and tried to keep her voice steady. "Everything's fine, Fuyumi! I'll talk to you tomorrow!"

"Are you sure? I'm sorry about my father. I honestly didn't know he was going to come home so early."

Sayuri felt Dabi's hold on her hips tighten. She could feel him lower himself, sliding out a little, before slamming upwards into her again. He forced a sound from her that immediately turned her face bright red. _Fuyumi definitely heard that! I'll never be able to look her in the eye after this! _Sayuri bit her lip as he began doing it again and again.

"I-I'm sorry! You're with your boyfriend, right? I'll call you later! I'm so sorry, Sayuri!" Fuyumi called through the door before running away.

Her fingernails dug lightly into Dabi's scalp as she felt her climax hit and she soon felt him spill into her. Panting, she rested her head against his shoulder. "I don't think I can look at her again without dying of embarrassment," she confessed.

"Why do you care what she thinks?" He lied on his back, arms wrapped around Sayuri and keeping her tight against him. "You're gonna call that creep and cancel your plans tomorrow."

"I can't cancel! I made a promise to tutor his daughter! I don't want to disappoint her!" Sayuri tried to push herself up to look at his expression, but he held tighter.

"Quit squirming. Unless you're trying to tell me you're ready for more." He snickered when she tensed up. "How about it? You won't be able to go if you can't walk, right? I wanted to do it some more anyway."

"I have work tomorrow," she muttered under her breath. _He's joking, right? He knows I have stuff to do tomorrow. And there's no way I can let Eri down like that. I need to show up for her tutoring session!_

A hand trailed along Sayuri's back, making it arch so her chest pushed closer against his. Dabi finally let her lean her head back and he smirked up at her. "So were you serious? You love me?"


	21. Chapter 21

She was paranoid, but he had to admit that she still looked pretty cute. It took way more effort than Dabi usually liked to put into something, but he had managed to convince her to skip work. Of course, she called in sick like the pure-hearted, innocent girl that she was. She was acting so sheepish; like she was a high schooler skipping class.

Sayuri needed groceries so she dragged him with her to the supermarket furthest from the school where she taught. She even went as far as to wear a hooded sweater and a pair of sunglasses as if that disguise would actually work. Dabi trailed behind her down an aisle, his thumb and forefinger gripping the back of her sweater when she started to get too far ahead of him.

He smirked and tugged at her sweater sharply, making her fall back against his chest. "What're you so nervous about?" he taunted.

"I never call in sick," she muttered, glancing up at him.

"Awww. You think you're gonna get fired for skipping one day?" Dabi wrapped an arm around her front, a hand pressing at her breastbone to keep her against him. Leaning down to her ear, his warm breath caressed her sensitive skin and made her quiver. "You're pretty cute when you're nervous."

The girl's face started to take on a pinkish hue and she glanced away from him. "If I lost my job, we'd both be on the street," she argued. "You don't exactly pitch in."

For an instant, he felt a bitterness at hearing that. A lazy smirk twitched at his lips and he nipped at her ear, earning a squeak of surprise from her. "I'd take care of you," he teased. "Don't I always take care of you?"

She gently pulled out of his hold and continued down the aisle with her shopping basket. Sayuri walked ahead of him, turning to glance over her shoulder and flash him a small, teasing smile. Looking down at her phone again, she skimmed her grocery list for the next thing she needed to grab.

Dabi followed at a slight distance. Watching her hips sway as she walked, staring at the way the pale fabric of her jeans hugged her hips and bottom. His eyes narrowed as he noticed a blush cross the face of another shopper that Sayuri passed. It was a man around his age and Dabi could not help but notice the way the man leered at her when she reached the end of the aisle.

"Are you coming?" Sayuri turned to look back at him. She tilted her head to the side a little, her innocently curious expression only making him more excited.

"Nah. Not right now." He sauntered down the aisle to reach her, smirking when he saw the man tense up. Dabi threaded his fingers into Sayuri's hair when he reached her and smashed his lips against hers. His free hand pressed on her lower back, pushing her closer and rolling his hips into hers.

When he broke the kiss, Sayuri blinked up at him with her wide lilac eyes. "What…?" A bright red shade took over her face as she realized the dirtiness behind his reply. "We're in public," she hissed, trying to look angry.

He could tell that the outrage was superficial. Wrapping an arm around her, Dabi started to guide her away from the aisle. Away from that stranger's nasty stare. He saw her turn her head and stare at something in the distance. He followed her line of sight and frowned.

Sayuri was looking at a small family that was shopping in the fruit section. A young mother and father with their toddler. The couple looked so happy and the baby was giggling as the father did some sort of cheap magic trick where he pretended to make an apple disappear. Sayuri's expression fell from fake anger to a bittersweet little smile.

Dabi raised an eyebrow. _Is she upset because her parents ditched her or is she upset because she wants something lame like that?_ He looked to the pale-haired woman beside him and smirked. "What? You want that?" he taunted.

"It's not like that." She looked away from the family, but there was already a wet sheen to her eyes. Sayuri walked in the opposite direction with Dabi following close behind. She was quiet for most of the walk, but when she stopped to grab some cup ramen, she finally spoke again. "You…probably never wants kids."

He studied her for a moment, trying to determine what she meant by that. Deciding that she probably wanted one, he came up behind her and wrapped both arms around her. A finger hooked through her belt loop on her right hip and Dabi pressed himself against her rear. "What? You want to make one?"

"Do you want one?" Her voice shook a little as she asked this.

"Can you imagine what kind of quirk they'd have?" He chuckled and slipped a hand down along her thigh. "I bet they'd have some kind of healing fire. Wouldn't be the worst thing, I guess."

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri had butterflies in her stomach and she was sure her heart was beating loudly enough for him to hear. It had been bothering her since she talked to Fuyumi about it. The Eri situation.

She wanted to be there for Eri, but she was limited in what she could really do. Sayuri was also reluctant to deal with Chisaki. In a perfect world, Sayuri could just take Eri and make sure the girl was safe. She was sure she could give her a good, normal life where the little girl could have friends and go outside as much as she wanted. This was not a perfect world, though.

When she asked Dabi if he wanted kids, what she really meant to ask was if he would be okay with helping her raise Eri. Whether she got her by means of legal adoption or by doing the unthinkable and sneaking her out of Chisaki's house. She wanted to know that Dabi would be alright with it.

Her pulse quickened as she remembered that she was supposed to tutor Eri that night and she had yet to call to cancel. Sayuri rummaged in her bag for her phone and checked the time. It was around noon. Seeing Dabi's face reflected on her phone screen, she quickly looked away and put her phone back.

"What?" He hugged her a little closer, his tone kind of gruff.

"N-nothing…" Sayuri put on a bit of a smirk, feeling bold. "Just admiring that cute look on your face."

"You think I'm cute?" he taunted.

She was about to retort, but he leaned down and pulled her face to the side. His lips covered hers for a moment before he began to trail down along her jawline and to her neck. Heat raced through her body, settling at her core. Sayuri lifted a hand and skimmed her fingertips over the staples that ran along his cheek.

They finished their little shopping trip and when they got home, she started making a late lunch for them. _I don't want to cancel_, she thought as she started divide their food. _I want to see Eri. I just don't want to see her father. Something about him is just so…_

"You didn't call yet." Dabi gave her a firm frown as he started eating the simple, but sloppy, onigiri she had made.

"Right. The thing is…" Sayuri ran her fingers through her pale hair, pulling it back into a loose ponytail so it was out of her face while she ate. "Dabi, I'm going to go for a walk this afternoon. Alone. I just…I need some time to think about stuff. I'll call, but I don't want to completely cancel on her."

He looked annoyed, but shrugged and continued eating. "Whatever."

"Are you mad at me?" She found herself being tugged by the arm so she fell into his lap, his arms wrapping around her and his chin resting on the top of her head. Her pulse skipped as she felt a hand slide beneath the hem of her sweater. Heated fingertips skimmed along her side, making her quiver and bite back a moan.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pissed off." The sound of his low, faintly raspy voice made her squirm a little so her backside rubbed against him. "Just call it off and stay with me."

"I can't." She knew he was upset, but this was important to her. Sayuri needed to be there for Eri. The thought of making the little girl cry was enough to make her heart feel like it was being squeezed.

When she left the apartment, Sayuri dug in her pocket for her phone and dialed the number for Chisaki. Walking down the sidewalk by herself, she listened to the phone ring. When Kurono finally picked up, she was toying with a stray lock of her long, snowy hair. "It's Naosu."

"Naosu? You're not supposed to be here for a few hours, right?" There was a noise in the background. It sounded like some sort of machinery.

"Is Chisaki-san there? I…sort of need to talk to him."

He paused for a moment and the sounded faded. "Sure thing. Here he is."

"Isn't it kind of early for you, Naosu? I thought that you were supposed to be working at this time." Chisaki's voice made goose bumps rise on her skin.

"Yes. I mean, not today. I sort of…have the day off." She was hesitant to admit to calling in sick. He struck her as a strict person so he would likely look down on her if she admitted to skipping work. "I wanted to talk to you about Eri-chan's tutoring today."

"I see. Fine. What is it?"

"I…actually, um…" Sayuri tugged at the lock of hair she had been playing with. "I need to cut back how often I tutor Eri-chan. And I won't be able to make it today." She heard a heavy sigh and felt her heart sink. "Chisaki-san?"

"Are you serious? I thought you were better than this. I was sure that you'd never let Eri down the way her mother did." He continued to chastise her until he finally seemed to have run out of things to say.

When Sayuri heard Eri's quiet voice over the phone, she felt her heart sink even further. Her shoulders hunched as she heard the little girl ask if she was going to tutor her. She heard Eri's voice quiver as she doubtlessly began to tear up. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Eri-chan."

She was so focused on trying to reassure the child that she was not being abandoned, Sayuri failed to pay attention to her surroundings. The young woman reached a corner just as a bicyclist came speeding across her path. A hand darted out to grab the back of her sweater and pulled her back just in time to avoid having the bike slam into her side.

Sayuri was steadied by a hand on her shoulder as well as the one gripping her sweater. Blinking in surprise at the bicyclist that was rushing down the street, her pulse sped up. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and she shook her head. "I…I'll call you back," she mumbled.

Turning to thank her rescuer, Sayuri found a man that was around Dabi's height. His eyes were kind of narrow and he was scowling, but there was a hint of relief in his gaze. "Thank you."

He looked away as he released the back of her sweater. "Watch where you're going next time," he mumbled. The man continued to stand next to her at the corner; apparently waiting to use the crosswalk.

She stood next to the stranger, being the only two at this intersection, and tried to think of some way to thank him. A glance over made her do a double-take. There was a scar running down the center of his forehead. She would offer to take it from him, but she was afraid it might not be fresh enough for her to take.

Sayuri wanted to somehow express how much she appreciated this complete stranger pulling her out of harm's way, but her phone started to ring. Her attention want back to Eri as she answered the call to find the little girl's father speaking. He told her that Eri was upset about Sayuri hanging up on her and she felt that heavy guilt from before returning.

"I'll be there soon, then." She gripped her phone tightly and when the light changed for her to cross the street, she looked both ways first. _I have to be more aware of my surroundings. I'll be letting down even more people if I get hurt._

There was a slight pause before Chisaki started talking again. "So you're going to come after all?" He sounded skeptical.

"I'm on my way now. Can I talk to Eri again?"

He sighed and she just knew he was probably shaking his head. "She's busy right now. But I'm sure she'll be done by the time you get here." The sound of a door closing could be heard and then the echo of footsteps. "You know, you're pretty important to her. Her behavior's always better after your visits. It's just too bad. If you were here every day, I'm sure she'd stop having her tantrums."

_Tantrums?_ Sayuri frowned to herself as she moved along the sidewalk. Eri struck her as being a timid, sweet little girl. _I can't imagine her throwing a tantrum._ Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed quietly. "I'm sorry, Chisaki-san. I'm sure she'll grow out of it, though. Children in my class still have little meltdowns sometimes, but you'll see less and less of it as she gets older."

"You know a lot about raising children, don't you? It's a surprise that you don't have any of your own. Or can't you?"

Something about his tone made her stomach twist in knots. She bit the inside of her cheek, her lilac eyes narrowing. "This…isn't a professional topic."

"No, I guess it's not. Where are you? I'll send Kurono to walk with you."

Sayuri told him her location and settled on a bench outside of a café to wait for Kurono. Slouching on her seat, she typed out a message to Dabi to let him know she would be late. _I'll have to make it up to him. I know I promised to spend the whole day with him, but…I can't let Eri down. I don't want to be the reason why she's crying._


	22. Chapter 22

_Where are you going, Sayuri?_ He kept a good distance between himself and the woman. Dabi was pretty good at staying hidden when he wanted to. Slipping into dark alleys when he thought she might look.

_I forgot how oblivious she is_, he thought with a scowl. He noticed guys looking at her every so often as she passed them, talking on her phone and being completely unaware of their stares.

When she almost got hit by a bike speeding down the street, he started to rush forward. Dabi knew there was no way he would have reached her in time, but it was just a reflex. An instinct. He saw a blond guy grab her sweater and yank her backwards to safety, which only gave him relief for a second until he narrowed his eyes on the stranger.

Sayuri thanked the man and the guy mumbled something too quietly for Dabi to hear. As the light changed and she crossed the street, he was half-tempted to follow the stranger, but instead tailed Sayuri. He was still keeping his distance, but he could hear her talking on the phone to someone again.

When her call ended, Dabi's phone chimed with a message from her. _Seriously? This…really pisses me off._ He tugged his hood forward a little more as he quickened his pace, but then he slowed down. As much as he wanted to wrap his arms around her from behind, he also wanted to know where her "client" lived.

_Probably a lame middle-aged guy_, he thought with a smirk. _I bet his wife left him for someone younger and left her kid with him. He probably thinks he's got a chance with Sayuri because she's so damn nice._

He expected to see her go to an apartment complex or a cheap little house. Instead, Dabi saw yet another guy approaching her. This one had chin-length white hair and he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt like Dabi was. Sayuri greeted him with a small wave and a half-smile. She definitely knew this stranger.

Dabi stalked them, keeping a bigger distance than before. She was talking to this pale-haired guy while they walked and from what Dabi could tell, she was talking about school stuff. _Is this the guy? Where's his kid?_ He looked the stranger up and down, wondering if this man even knew he was being watched.

The house that Sayuri and the stranger went into was a lot nicer than what Dabi had imagined. Pausing on a street corner, he stared at the house with growing anger. This was the house she kept going to and that had to be the guy that was monopolizing her free time.

He rummaged in his pocket again and turned the corner, putting his back to the house. Dabi typed a response to Sayuri. Just a simple "whatever". He started off down the street, daydreaming about grabbing that pale-haired guy by the throat and using his quirk to reduce him to ashes starting at the neck. Imagining setting the man's house ablaze, Dabi glared out at the world from within his hood.

What stopped him was when he remembered something Sayuri told him the previous night. That weird confession about her first love. Thinking about it drew him back to a fuzzy, faded memory of a little girl with pale hair and bruises. A little girl with orchid eyes crying in a corner and trembling when he hugged her.

_First love, huh?_ Dabi's lips twitched into a smirk as he turned down a dark alley. _Isn't that cute?_ A flood of other memories started to surface. All of them a little hazy, but they all involved a girl with pale hair and soft orchid eyes. _How'd I forget? Maybe too much happened and it just overshadowed her. That little crybaby._

**Shift P.O.V**

"These are so much cuter than the ones we have at the school. Eri-chan, you did a really good job on these flashcards." Sayuri beamed across the little table at the girl, who gave her a curious look with her head tilted.

"I…did a good job?" Eri asked, lowering her warm red gaze to the flashcards spread over the table. "Really?"

"You did great. Okay, are you ready to take a break?" She stood and glanced toward the doorway. They were in Eri's room, working at a little pink wooden table. Like always, Chisaki and Kurono were lingering nearby. "We should go for a walk. The weather's really nice right now."

Sayuri had a gut feeling that Chisaki would refuse, but she was trying to test him. If he would let Eri walk around outside with her, there might be a chance that she could be alone with her. Then she could try to ask her if everything was really alright.

His eyebrows furrowed and he tugged at the white gloves he always wore, pulling them up a little more. After a moment, he seemed to have settled on a response. "I don't want Eri to get hurt. I told you before, didn't I? She gets hurt easily."

"We'll be careful, won't we, Eri-chan?" She looked to the little girl and saw her frown, but nod. "See? I won't let anything bad happen to her."

"As long as we're both there, I suppose a walk in the garden should be okay." He glanced toward Kurono, who turned and disappeared into the hallway. "Come on, Eri. You want to go outside, right?"

Sayuri offered a hand to the little girl, smiling when the child's delicate hand took hers. She followed Chisaki at a distance, her smile faltering when she realized he was leading her to a different door than the one she entered through. He slid the door open and revealed a garden that was behind the house. The plants were all still in the early stages of coming back to life after winter.

He stepped outside ahead of them and gestured at the little garden. "This will have to do. I don't want her anywhere near the street. If we walk back here, at least the danger is more manageable."

_That's a weird way of wording it._ Sayuri felt a small pull at her hand as Eri stepped forward and she looked down. "Oh! Hang on a second, okay?" Sayuri produced a spare hairband from around her wrist and leaned down behind Eri.

She carefully ran her fingers through the little girl's long, pale hair to get rid of tangles and then pulled her hair into a ponytail. "There we go. Now your hair won't get in your face." Sayuri smiled down at her when she turned around and her smile grew when Eri hugged her. "You like it?"

"Th-thank you, Sayuri."

The young woman hugged back and felt a tightening in her chest. _I'll do whatever it takes to help you. I won't abandon you. _Pulling back, she looked over at the garden. "Okay. Ready to go for our walk?" Eri nodded and took her hand.

Walking with the little girl, it felt different from when she walked with her students. Sayuri had this strange feeling. She felt like Eri was relying on her. Gripping her hand carefully, keeping pace with Sayuri and staying close to her side. It reminded her of the way she used to walk with her parents when she was in elementary school.

_This is a good sign, though, right? He's letting me walk with her outside. He just seems like he's a little overprotective of her._ Sayuri tensed a little and bit her lip to suppress a squeak of alarm as he came up on her other side.

He looked from her down to the little girl and there was an odd sort of look on his face. Difficult to explain, but like a series of tiny expressions. Puzzlement, realization, and finally ending with satisfaction. "If I didn't know better, I would wonder if you were her natural mother. You look so similar, except for your eyes."

She was unsure if he meant for this to be a compliment, but it gave her a strange sort of feeling. Sayuri put on a small smile and she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "She must have gotten all of her looks from her mom, right?"

Chisaki turned his head to face forward and nodded. "Clearly. I still find it strange that you don't have kids. You obviously like them and you're good with them. Or are you not able to?"

Her face started to turn red and she paused with Eri to look at a small pond with stones around the perimeter. She held Eri's hand to make sure she would not fall into the cold water, but Sayuri needed to put some more distance between herself and the girl's father. "That's an inappropriate question to ask a tutor."

Beside her, Eri looked a little concerned so Sayuri crouched down to her eye level and smiled. "It's nice today, isn't it? It's pretty much spring so soon we'll see flowers and the trees will get their leaves back. Maybe we can go look at cherry trees when they blossom, Eri-chan."

"Cherry…blossoms?"

"They're little pink flowers. The petals fall down from the trees kind of like rain when the wind blows and it's really pretty." Sayuri straightened again and felt goose bumps rise on her arms beneath her sweater when a gloved hand rested on her shoulder.

"Eri has allergies so I don't think that would a possibility, Naosu." Chisaki's reflection in the pond showed that he was looking at her, despite her attention being on the little girl. He started to say something, but was cut off by Kurono quietly announcing that dinner was ready.

_Did Kurono cook? What is their relationship again?_ Sayuri tried to nonchalantly step out of his grip and turned to him with a smile. "I should probably be going. It's getting pretty late and my boyfriend-"

"Right. Your boyfriend. You're still together?" Chisaki took a step closer when she stepped back, noticing how she took Eri's hand again.

"That's right. We've been together since Christmas Eve." She started walking toward the open doorway, gently guiding Eri away from Chisaki.

"I see. How romantic." There was no shred of amusement in his tone as he said this. When they neared the door, he put a gloved hand against the doorframe beside Sayuri and leaned down. His eyes flitted to Eri briefly before he raised an eyebrow. "You should stay for dinner tonight. It's already made and I'm sure Eri would want to eat with you. Don't you think she should stay for dinner, Eri?"

The child glanced up at Chisaki and then lowered her head for a moment. She fidgeted before finally looking into Sayuri's eyes. "I…I want to eat dinner with you."

It felt like her heart was being melted by the little girl's gaze. _There's no way I can say "no" to that face. Only a monster would be able to turn her down._ Sayuri put on a smile and drew closer to Eri, putting herself between the girl and the others. "How can I refuse such a cute invitation? Alright, Eri-chan. I'll stay for dinner, but I'll have to go right after that."

"You have work tomorrow?" Kurono asked with a slight head tilt. "Isn't tomorrow your day off?"

"Her boyfriend is waiting for her." There was a slight edge to Chisaki's voice when he said this. He took his hand off of the doorframe and went ahead of them into the house.

Sayuri kept her eyes fixed on Chisaki as she followed, her hand still holding Eri's. When Kurono trailed behind them, she got a prickly sort of sensation along her spine. Glancing over her shoulder for just a second, she was met with a cold stare before his look turned inquisitive. She recognized this feeling now; it was the rush of adrenaline through her veins.

Her instincts were screaming at her to pick Eri up and make a run for the exit. To put as much distance between her and the two men as possible. _But I can't do that, _she reminded herself._ Without some kind of proof that something's wrong, I'll be arrested for kidnapping. Eri hasn't said anything to tell me that there's something wrong and I haven't seen or heard anything from Chisaki to tell me he's done something. Just because he gives me the creeps, it doesn't mean he's doing anything. I need proof before I take any kind of action._

The young woman's unease grew throughout the meal. Barely eating, but watching Eri enjoy her food. The suggestion was made that she should visit the next day for more tutoring and she politely explained that she was busy that day. Chisaki did very little to hide his annoyance with her refusal, but sighed and shrugged it off.

_He didn't even eat_, she thought as she walked home. _He kept that medical mask on the whole time and just watched everyone else eat._ Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine.

As she neared her building, Sayuri got that prickling feeling again. She looked over her shoulder, half-expecting to find that Kurono had followed her. Instead of Kurono's cold gray eyes, she found a pair of sharp turquoise ones briefly meeting hers before an arm slung around her shoulders.

Dabi leaned down, the staples along his cheek scraping over the curve of her ear. "I don't like sharing you," he started. His free hand gripped her chin, turning Sayuri's blushing face in his direction. A smirk pulled at the left corner of his lips and he brought his face close to hers. "I get you all to myself now, right?"

Her heart skipped a beat when she looked up into his eyes. "I…y-yeah, of course. What kind of question is that? I came back, didn't I?"

"I didn't know if I'd have to share you with Fuyumi," he taunted. He traced the pad of his thumb along her lower lip, watching her face go from pink to a bright shade of red. "So how're you gonna make this up to me? You said we'd spend the day together and then you ditched me for some single dad."

"It's not like that," she argued, almost laughing at the implication. "So what did you do while I was gone?"

His smirk evolved into a grin that looked like it might make his staples snap off. "I had some fun, but now I'm ready to have some real fun."


	23. Chapter 23

_What am I going to do? My gut is telling me to get her out of there, but there are no signs of abuse or neglect. What if I'm wrong? What if everything's fine and Chisaki-san is just weird?_ Sayuri sank lower in the bath, frowning and closing her eyes.

He was more than a little protective of Eri. There was no question about that. However, Sayuri was not completely aware of the full situation. For all she knew, Eri's mother might have dated someone dangerous that was now trying to kidnap the girl. That would explain Chisaki's overprotectiveness. Or it might have something to do with his line of work, which she still had no knowledge about.

Her head started to throb and Sayuri ran her fingers through her damp hair, gritting her teeth. _I don't know what to do! Eri doesn't act like a normal, happy kid. But who would act that way after being abandoned by their mom?! But her dad acts so weird! I want to do something to help her, but I don't know what I can do!_

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes and she slipped down, putting her head beneath the water. When she sat up again, she felt arms slide around her shoulders from behind and jolted. Sayuri turned her head, her heart racing with cold fear, but her pulse settled when she saw Dabi.

He stared down at her for a second before smirking. "You look pretty tense," he commented. Leaning down to her ear, he nipped at her sensitive skin and snickered when he felt her quiver. "I thought you were tired, but if you want to go another round…"

She released a small whimper as his warm lips closed on the side of her neck and his hands slid to her chest. Sayuri crossed her legs beneath the water and half-closed her eyes. Lifting her arms to slip around his neck, she threaded her fingers into his dark hair and tugged gently. He groaned against the side of her neck and leaned closer against the edge of the bath behind her.

Sayuri tilted her head as she bit her lip, letting him lean down more. His left hand trailed up along her chest, fingers lightly pressing against her neck as he latched his mouth onto the scar on her collar bone. Her back arched, heat rushing through her whole body as his right hand kneaded her chest. "D-Dabi…" she finally mumbled, embarrassed that her voice almost sounded like she was begging.

He smirked against her skin and finally drew away. "I'm gonna go feed the rats. If you want more, don't make me wait."

Turning in the bath to watch him leave the bathroom, she felt a warm blush spreading across her face. Sayuri waited for the door to close before she slid beneath the water again to try to calm down. Resurfacing, her cheeks were just as pink as before and she had to smile to herself. Out of all of the guys she had ever dated, none of them made her feel the way Dabi did. None of them had ever made her crave more of them the way he did and none of them made her heart race this same way.

When she emerged from the bathroom, hair still a little wet and now wearing a t-shirt and pajama shorts, her smile became a grin. "You know me so well," she commented, looking at the spread of snacks and beer on the coffee table.

Dabi was sprawled on the couch, looking at his phone. Lifting his bright turquoise eyes, a grin spread across his two-toned face. "Seriously? What'd you expect? Come here." He beckoned with one finger, shoving his phone into his pocket with his other hand.

Feeling a little bold, Sayuri decided to tease him. She walked over at a slow pace, swaying her hips and leaning down when she reached the side of the couch. The young woman ran her fingers through his hair and brushed her lips along the shell of his ear, her warm breath skimming over his skin and piercings. A sharp squeak escaped her when his hands went to her hips and pulled her down to straddle his waist.

"You want me to show you what happens when you tease me?" His fingertips dug into her hips, his mouth lingering beside her right ear. Dabi rolled his hips up, grinding against her. "I don't know if you can handle more. Don't wanna break you," he taunted.

Her breathing hitched, heat rushing to where he was rubbing against her. Sayuri's fingers tangled in his hair and she arched her back, pushing her hips tighter to his. "I…think I can take it."

"Oh yeah? You don't have work tomorrow, right? So if I do it until you can't walk, it's not a problem. You want me to make your hips hurt?"

Exhilaration made her heart flutter and Sayuri lifted her head so she could meet his eyes. Pale, faintly wet hair was falling down around his face as she planted a hand on his chest. The sight of his cute, half-grin was making it hard for her to concentrate on his question. When she finally remembered it, her face went from pink to red and her boldness faltered. "Maybe…"

His grin grew and Dabi pushed himself to sit up with her still straddling his hips. Leaning down, he brushed his lips along the sensitive skin below her ear. "Yeah? Well maybe later I'll give you what you want," he teased.

Again, she wanted to flirt back so she tried her best. Sayuri moved off of his lap, but skimmed her fingertips along his thigh. He tensed a little under her touch and she smirked. "Yeah. I don't want to tire you out too quickly."

**Shift P.O.V**

_Is that a challenge?_ Dabi watched her open a bag of chips and leaned forward to open a can of beer for her. As much as he wanted to go another round, for the first time in a while he had more important things on his mind.

After he saw the house where she went to tutor, after he saw the dad of the girl she was tutoring, Dabi was annoyed. When she first mentioned tutoring the kid, he had expected that she was going to an apartment or a shabby little place. He imagined she was tutoring the kid of a broke forty-something year old. Now that he had seen how young the father was, how big and elaborate the house was, he could feel jealousy eating away at him.

It was kind of a weird feeling for him. Before he got with Sayuri, jealousy was a sort of faint thing he felt every so often. It was never like this before. In fact, today it felt even stronger than when he got mad about that dad at her school trying to ask her out.

Sayuri was five beers in, leaning her head against his shoulder and grinning to herself. Dabi slipped an arm around her shoulders and felt her snuggle against his side. "You're so…_so_ sweet, you know?" she mumbled, lifting her lilac eyes to stare up at him. Her face was flushed pink from embarrassment and from the alcoholic, making her look all the more innocent.

"What makes you say that?" he challenged, leaning down to nip at her ear.

She released a quiet moan and settled a hand on his thigh. "I mean, 'cause you know me! You and Fuyumi…you're the only ones that actually know me, you know?" Sayuri hiccupped and giggled, leaning up to press her face into the side of his neck. Now on her knees on the couch cushion, both of her hands gripping the front of his shirt as she kissed at his warm, damaged skin.

A groan escaped him and he took one of her hands, lifting her arm around his neck to steady her. Dabi smirked and let his free hand press against the small of her back. "You have no idea."

"Mm?" She lifted her face and tilted her head. "What'd you say?"

Dabi guided her so she was sitting across his lap with her head on the armrest of the couch. Fingers trailed through her snowy hair, his nose twitching at the sweet citrus scent of her shampoo. He knew she was decently intoxicated and that was what he had been waiting for. What he wanted to talk to her about was something that he did not want her to remember tomorrow.

"Do you want to live in a huge house and have kids?"

She blinked up at him in confusion and fidgeted with a strand of her hair. "That's a weird question," she muttered.

He stared down at her, reaching out to take the strand of hair and running his fingertips along it. "Isn't that what a lot of girls want? They want to marry some guy that can give them a nice house and have kids with them. Right?"

Sayuri pushed herself up, her back against the armrest as she trailed her fingers along his two-toned cheek. Skimming over the staples and drawing a groan from him that made her cheeks a vibrant pink. "I don't care about what kind of place I live in as long as I'm safe. And I do want a kid, but I don't need to have one right now. I'm still young!"

Dabi was a little surprised that she was so coherent after so much beer, but at the same time he was a little concerned she might remember everything. This part of the conversation was fine, but he had to make sure the next discussion was forgotten. He leaned over her to grab two more beers; opening them and handing one to Sayuri.

She sat next to him again, sipping from the can of beer and smiling to herself. "It's a good brand, right? I got a new one because it was cheaper."

"It's bitter." He took one sip and heard her gulp down her own drink. She leaned against his shoulder, a hand resting on his thigh again. Dabi smirked and settled his arm around her like before. "You said your first love was some kid you played with, right?"

"His name was Touya. He was always really nice to me and he had this cute smile and-!" She grinned and looked up at him. "Dabi, do you remember your first love? Was she cute?"

He nodded toward the romantic comedy that they were watching and waited for Sayuri to look at the television before he moved on with the conversation. "She was this weird girl that used to come to my house all the time to play. Always had scrapes and bruises and she cried a lot."

"Did she get in fights?" Sayuri glanced up at him curiously.

"Nah. She just liked taking other kids' pain. Had this messy, white hair. I remember one time she got hurt really badly and she was over at my house. She couldn't stop crying and I was alone with her. I didn't know what to do because she just kept crying so I grabbed her and held onto her until she stopped. Useless parents didn't even come to check on her."

Dabi knew she had to remember this. It was something that he had just recalled earlier that day so it was a fuzzy, but still sort of fresh memory for him. Looking down into her lilac eyes, he remembered the way they watered on that day.

Sayuri yawned and frowned, running her fingers through her hair. "She sounds adorable."

_Seriously?_ He had to smirk and he shook his head. Drunk Sayuri would definitely forget the conversation, but apparently drunk Sayuri was also too oblivious to realize what he just confessed to her. _Whatever. At least she's cute._

"Messy white hair. The little girl I tutored today. She's got messy hair that's pretty pale." Sayuri's eyes widened and she frowned. "You know what her stupid dad kept asking me? You know? He asked me if I wanted kids and then he was asking if I can even have kids! Why would you ask that? Basically a stranger!"

His jealousy reignited and Dabi leaned down to the side of her neck. The staples along his cheek scraped over her skin as he brought his lips up to her ear. "Oh yeah? What else?"

"He's such a creep. Like, he keeps touching my shoulder and getting too close." Sayuri lowered her head and looked down at her beer, tapping her nails against the can. "I just want to get her out of there. That place has a weird feeling in it and the way he keeps looking at me sometimes just gives me goose bumps. I don't know what's going on; it's not like he neglecting her. I've got this feeling in my gut. Like I wanted to just run out of there with her today, but that's kidnapping."

"So what? You really want that kid? You want to raise her or something? Is this some kind of weird maternal thing?"

"Shut up! It's not something like…something dumb like a maternal…thing. I want her to be happy and she never looks happy when she's there! I just want to make her smile! I want her to be a happy kid like my students! I'd do whatever it takes, but I don't know where to even start!"

_You'd raise her like your own kid. I already know. _He waited for her to doze off and carried her to her bed. Flopping down beside her, Dabi crossed his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. The Calorie Bomb poster was just at the edge of his vision, making him frown.

_If I got that kid for you, you'd take really good care of her. I just don't want to be a dad to someone other guy's kid. _Thinking about the man from earlier, his frown deepened into a scowl. The pale-haired man with cold eyes, who had met with Sayuri to walk her to that house. Thinking about him touching Sayuri, asking her those questions about having a kid.

Heat was rising off of Dabi's skin and he released a sigh of frustration to try to calm himself down. _I've gotta blow off some steam_, he finally decided. He grabbed his coat and started for the door, but heard Sayuri call his name.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw her struggle out of bed and approach him. "I'm going to use my quirk to burn up some energy. You don't want-"

"I want to see your quirk," she argued, sounding complete sober. "I've only seen it once. Please…let me go with you!"


	24. Chapter 24

NeonHorizon: **Please read**. Just to answer a few questions. Yes, Dabi remembers everything. I've been kind of hesitant to outright have him refer to the Todoroki family as his because I know that the second I do, Horikoshi is going to make it canon that he isn't a Todoroki and then I'll never hear the end of it. I was afraid. But moving forward, I've decided to just go all in and go with the "Dabi is a Todoroki" thing. Also, he hasn't told Sayuri that he's Touya for a number of reasons, but mostly just because he's trying to keep his real identity hidden. He hinted at it in the last chapter because he knew she would forget it.

* * *

"Seriously? Just go back to bed." Dabi's irritation was starting to grow. He was already pissed off and jealous, but now Sayuri wanted to go with him. There was no way he could burn up a bunch of weak idiots if she tagged along. That was a side of himself he wanted to keep from her for a while longer.

It was rare to see Sayuri get mad, but when her lilac eyes narrowed on him, it was clear she was not going to let this go. "Don't talk to me like I'm a kid. I just want to see your quirk. You never let me see it."

If he was in a better mood, he would probably think it was cute. The stern tone she was taking, the way her delicate hands curled into fists, the way she took a step toward him as if she was actually threatening. Dabi stared at her for a moment and finally released an annoyed sigh. Crossing to her bedroom doorway, he slipped a hand beneath her chin.

"Fine. You can tag along." His fingertips brushed along her cheek and he smirked. "If it'll stop you from throwing a tantrum," he teased.

Her face turned red and she went back into her room to get dressed. He was still a little irritated, but seeing her get that worked up brought back an amusing memory. One day when she was visiting the house to play with his sister, he and his younger brother were going to play a game. When they told the girls that they were not allowed to play, his sister took it well, but Sayuri argued.

He had gone through so much since he was a kid that she was, sadly, a less significant memory. So much trauma overshadowed the memory of the messy-haired little crybaby she used to be. Even though he had more or less told her, he left out some crucial, defining details just at the off-chance she did remember them in the morning. When she came out of her room, he slung an arm around her shoulder and leaned down to her ear.

"Sure you're up for this?"

"You…think I can't handle a little heat?" Sayuri smiled up at him when he drew away, her cheeks still pink from embarrassment.

"You want me to give you a show?" Dabi smirked and took her hand, leading her out of the apartment.

Walking down the sidewalk in the chilled spring night air, he tried to think of how he could do this. Burning someone alive in front of her was out of the question; she would be horrified. She would probably try to leave him.

_I'll just show her a little bit and go out when she falls asleep again_, he decided. Slipping into an alley, still holding her hand, he tried to determine if she was really sober now. "You remember what I said earlier?"

Sayuri's hand squeezed his as they walked down the dark alley. "What was it? The part about…having a kid and a house?"

"Yeah. That part." He was actually trying to see if she remembered the part where he confessed that he knew her as a kid, but she seemed to have forgotten. "Wanna have a kid?" he continued.

The pale-haired young woman giggled. "Why? Do _you_ want one? Didn't we already talk about this?"

Dabi looked at her over his shoulder, staring down at his girlfriend in the dim alley and feeling her hand squeeze his again. "Seriously. Do you want one?"

She bit her lip and looked away. "I mean…if _you_ want one. Maybe in the future?" Her voice was quiet and she sounded a little hesitant. Like she was afraid he was going to shoot down the suggestion.

"I guess one would be fine." Imagining the kind of quirk the kid might have, he snickered. _Be great if they had healing fire. Set someone on fire to heal them._

When they were a good distance away from the street, he stopped walking and looked around. There was nothing flammable in the area. It was just right to give her a quick demonstration of his quirk.

"Here. Stay close unless you wanna get burned," he warned. Dabi tucked her back against his chest, his right arm wrapped around her waist. Memories of hugging her when they were kids started to come flooding back. Not just the time when she would not stop crying, but a few other times as well. He began to grin as he lifted his left arm and released a long blast of blue flames.

**Shift P.O.V**

"Ngh! S-so hot!" Sayuri's eyes half-closed as she felt intense heat radiate from the flame in front of her as well as from the man behind her. Despite the discomfort, the magnificent blue shade of his fire was mesmerizing.

Dabi leaned down to the side of her neck. "You want me to really make you hot?" he teased, his right hand drifting from her hip down to her thigh.

Sayuri lifted her hands to wrap her arms around his neck, her back arching when she felt his hot fingertips trail along her inner thigh. Pausing between her legs, she bit back a whimper. He pressed tight against her bottom, rolling his hips and rubbing against her. She could feel him putting pressure between her legs, moving in little circles and teasing Sayuri.

The flames stretched further before abruptly dying as he released a groan. Dabi turned her and lifted her off the ground, making the girl wrap her legs around his waist. He pinned her against the wall to his left, his face burying in the side of her neck as he grinded against her. "Now I've gotta blow off steam a different way. Are you proud of yourself? You feel that, Sayuri?"

Her fingers moved into his dark hair, tugging lightly and biting back a moan as she felt his lips latch onto her neck. She tipped her head back, closing her eyes as his left hand moved between them. Fingers slipped into the waist of her jeans and pulled at the denim, teasing her even more.

Sayuri trailed a hand back from his hair to caress his cheek, wanting to urge him to lift his face from her neck so she could kiss him. Her fingertips became slippery and warm when they touched his cheek. "Dabi? Dabi, wait!"

"What?" It was said in a growl as he lifted his head. Blood was oozing from where his pale, peachy skin met the damaged, purplish skin beneath his eye. The blood was thick and ran down his cheek like a tear when he had his head up; lazily dripping from his jaw and speckling the front of Sayuri's shirt.

"What is this?! What happened?" Before he could offer an explanation, her panic caused her quirk to activate. She gripped his shoulders tightly as a thin slit opened beneath her left eye and blood trickled down her face.

Dabi's intense, turquoise eyes narrowed and he ran his thumb along the trail of blood. "Why'd you do that? I didn't tell you to-"

"I didn't want to see you hurt!" she argued, her nails sinking into his shoulders through his jacket. "But…what happened? Was it because you used your quirk?"

He let her wipe the blood off of his cheek and set her down so she was standing on her own. "Doesn't matter. Come on; we'll finish this at home."

Sayuri cleaned the cut when they got back to the apartment and frowned as she looked at it in the mirror. When it transferred to her body, it felt different from a normal cut. If she took a normal cut from someone, like a paper cut or a knife cut, she was able to feel the slicing sensation when she took the wound. This time, she felt her flesh splitting open.

_What is it? Why did it happen? He got really hot when he used his quirk. Did that cause his skin to split?_ She carefully put a small bandage over the cut and yelped when she spotted him in the bathroom mirror, standing in the doorway behind her. Turning to face him, her frown deepened. "You scared me."

"Want me to make you feel better?" He smirked as warmth rose to her face and he beckoned with a finger. "Come on."

She watched him walk away and followed slowly, her pulse racing with anticipation. As upset as she was about his quirk making him bleed, she had to admit that seeing his fire was exciting. The color, the heat, even the way he held her while he was releasing the flame. It was exhilarating and it got her excited in more way than one.

As she approached her bedroom, she saw him sitting against the headboard wearing only a smirk. Again, he beckoned her closer. Sayuri could feel heat running through her; warming her face to a pinkish shade and making her press her thighs together tightly. She climbed onto the end of the bed and decided to try to be enticing. The pale-haired woman crawled toward him, moving her hips side to side and trying to tease him.

It worked a little too well. Dabi leaned forward and grabbed the collar of her t-shirt to pull her closer. He twisted and pinned her down on the bed, his hands running along her sides and hooking his fingers into the waist of her jeans on both sides. Soon her clothes were on the floor with his and she felt the heat of his bare skin against hers.

Sayuri's fingers threaded into his hair as she felt a hand massage one side of her chest as the other reached between them. She gasped as a fingertip brushed over her heat and bucked her hips in response. He brought his lips to hers, smothering a moan as he slipped two digits into her core. Driving them in and out at a lazy pace, making her beg against his lips for him to go faster.

"You're dripping," he taunted as he finally broke the kiss. Leaning back a little, he smirked down at her and let her fingers caress his damaged, purplish cheek. "My quirk's that much of a turn on? Look at how much you're blushing. You hear that sound you're making? Tell me how much my quirk turned you on, Sayuri."

She felt his fingers go still and a whine started in her throat, but she refused to let it out. Biting her lip, Sayuri's lilac eyes silently begged him to keep going, but he was clearly having too much fun teasing her. He left her feeling empty and drew his warm, wet fingers over her skin. Pausing at the sensitive bundle of nerves before pressing down.

Her eyes went wide and a strangled moan escaped her. She gripped his hair tighter and her hips lifted off of the bed. "P-please!"

"Tell me how my quirk made you get this wet," he persisted. "I won't let you finish if you don't."

"That's…not fair!"

"Life's not fair sometimes, babe."

Feeling like she was being pushed toward the edge, only for him to suddenly stop, was unbearable. Sayuri could feel her will starting to break. The embarrassment was overshadowed by her desire for release so she gave in. "Your quirk…t-turned me on," she said in a very quiet voice.

Dabi's grin spread and his fingers drifted downward, sliding along her heat. "What? I couldn't hear you. Say it louder."

Tears of frustration started to burn at the corners of her eyes and she gritted her teeth. "Y-your quirk is a turn on! Please!" She felt his hand move away again, slipping down her thigh. "Your quirk turned me on! Please, please just-!"

He slid his elbows behind her knees and pushed upwards, bringing her thighs against her chest and opening her legs. "That's more like it. You want your reward?"

Sayuri's eyes widened again, her pulse skipping as she felt him brush against her core. "Yes! Please, Dabi!" Her head pressed hard against the pillows as she felt him sheath himself in her heat, his hands gripping the sheets. He groaned when he entered and closed his eyes, holding still for a moment.

Staring up at him through her lusty haze, there was a fluttery sensation in her chest. She studied the cocky smirk he wore when his eyes opened, the hint of smugness blending with pleasure. The way the staples at the corners of his mouth caught the light and strained against his skin. The way his body still felt hot from using his quirk in the alley.

She wanted to kiss him, but her legs were in the way. The best she could do was reach a hand over to his and lace their fingers as he started to drive his hips down into hers. They had done it in a few positions in the past, but never like this. She had never done it this way with any guy before, but she could definitely feel a difference. It felt like he was hitting deeper than he usually did and when his left hand slipped between them to tease her, Sayuri quickly reached her first release.

He went for longer than usual, bringing her to the edge multiple times before he finally got to his. Releasing deep into her and staying inside as he let go of her legs. Dabi slid his arms around her waist and managed to turn them so she was straddling his hips with him still buried in her. He brought her head down to rest against his chest and he ran his fingers through her hair.

She was panting and gratefully nuzzled her cheek against his chest, enjoying the sound of his heart beating. "So…what was with that new position?"

His eyes had been closed, but now he looked down into her lilac eyes. "Just something new. What? You like it?"

"It was good," she agreed, smiling. Sayuri leaned up and brought her lips to his. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers playing with the dark hair at the back of his head. When the kiss broke, she decided to tease him just a little more before they both went to sleep. "You know, you said my hips would hurt. But I feel fine."

Dabi was already starting to doze off a little and gave her a lazy half-smile. "I've got you all day tomorrow, right?"


	25. Chapter 25

"Naosu isn't coming today. So no one cares about your tears. Just behave and stop making so much noise."

He knew what he would see if he turned his head. The pale-haired little girl sniffling with tears rolling down her face. Freshly healed incisions on her arms with new bandages wrapping her from her wrist to just below her elbow. Her expression was pure despair; knowing that the woman was not coming to comfort her.

"If she really cared, she would be here every day," he continued with a sigh. "She'd want to _stay_ here. But no. She's _fickle_. Even if she comes to see you, she always leaves. She loves her boyfriend more than you, Eri. That's what it really comes down to. Why love someone else's child when she could have her own with him? Some day she might not come back."

It was cruel and he knew it. Emotionally torturing a child. Twisting her perspective and making Naosu look evil when she was probably the only one that truly cared about Eri. A bizarre, motherly love that Chisaki saw every time the woman interacted with the girl.

As strange as it was, it was a love that he knew he could use to his benefit. Whenever she did visit, Eri was more compliant. With the silent threat of Naosu possibly being harmed, the child was quieter and cooperated. She stopped herself from running, screaming, or crying if she knew that she would see Naosu after her "treatment".

Once Eri was locked in her room, Kurono gave him a slightly curious sort of frown. "Kai, do you want Naosu?"

He started down the hallway, tugging his gloves higher and his eyebrows furrowed. "In a manner of speaking. That woman interests me."

"You want to have her around full time? Need me to get her?"

"I'm going to ask her when the time's right. There are still some details to work out. That…_disease_…of hers. I want to test it some more before I make a decision about this."

"Oh, yeah. She's got that healing quirk."

Chisaki stepped into his office and sat on a couch, his elbows resting on his knees as he frowned behind his mask. "She's able to take injuries from other people onto herself and claims that she can transfer injuries from one person to another person. I haven't seen her do that yet so I'm not sure if it's an embellishment. What I do know is that her own healing ability isn't anything impressive; she heals at the same rate as a normal person."

Kurono closed the door behind him and nodded. "Yeah, that's kinda useless. What good is it to take someone's injury if it takes her the same amount of time to heal?"

"I'm interested in finding out if she really is capable of transferring injuries. If she can do that…" Chisaki slipped off his left glove and stared down at his bare hand. "If she's able to transfer the wounds to someone else, she'd save me the trouble of getting my hands dirty or having to use Eri's disease."

He put his glove on again and sighed once more. "There are a few issues to work out. I intend to present the idea to her like a job offer; a live-in caretaker position. I want to isolate her from the filth outside so she won't contaminate me."

"Her boyfriend's gonna be a problem, then."

Chisaki looked to Kurono, his golden eyes narrowed. "You don't understand? Fine. I'll explain it to you. I'm going to test Naosu the next time she comes to see Eri. I'll need your complete cooperation and a small sacrifice. And if the results of the test prove useful to us, we'll move on to the next phase; presenting my offer. If she accepts, it'll make things a lot easier."

"And if she says no? You want me to take her out?"

"If she says no, I want you to follow her. Someone needs to see her after she's left the compound. I'd prefer it if she gets caught on surveillance cameras in a store. People need to see her after she's left." He tugged at his gloves again before continuing. "When she disappears, her boyfriend will take the blame."

**Shift P.O.V**

"Sayuri. Your phone's ringing."

She had her head down, scrolling through some video thumbnails on her laptop. _I want to be able to show Eri how to make a bento. But it has to be an easy one. I'm still not great at cooking. Maybe something without meat? So do I buy enough for just two meals or should I buy enough to make some for Chisaki and Kurono?_

"I thought you didn't have any friends besides Fuyumi. Is this another teacher or something?" Dabi called from the bedroom. Unlike Sayuri, he had opted to sleep in. The only problem was that her phone was charging on the table next to the bed and dragged him into consciousness when it started ringing.

Sayuri toyed with a stray lock of white hair that hung beside her face. A pouting frown started to form on her lips as she tilted her head. _Maybe a rabbit themed bento? Or cats? I don't think she'd like the bear one. What's Kurono's relationship with Chisaki anyway? Are they just friends or-?_

"Babe, who's Sumire?" The dark-haired young man fell onto the couch next to her, causing her to bounce a little. Dabi was only wearing a loose pair of black sweatpants and pulled her onto his lap as he stretched out across the couch cushions.

She narrowly managed to avoid dropping her laptop and closed it. "What did you say? Sorry; I was looking at bento ideas." Her arms slipped around his neck as she turned to face him.

"Who's Sumire?" Dabi saw her lilac eyes go wide and he frowned. "What? You missed a call from someone named Sumire."

The young woman swore quietly and tried to get up, planning to go to her room to get her phone. His arms slid around her waist and held her tightly against him. "Dabi, I have to call her back!"

"You didn't answer my question. She a coworker or something?"

"That's my aunt," she replied, her eyes shifting to the side. "She's…the only member of my family that still kind of talks to me after my parents stopped. I have to call her back."

When he grudgingly let go, Sayuri hurried to her room, but paused as she stepped through the doorway. Her gaze lifted to the poster over her bed. Meeting the soft blue eyes of the hero on the poster and feeling a tightness in her chest. Picking up her cellphone, she settled on her bed and called her aunt.

Sayuri's aunt was much older than her mother. To be fair, her mother and her aunt were only half-sisters. Nevertheless, Shirayuki Sumire was always kind to her. Which was why she felt so horrible about missing her call. They rarely had the chance to talk due to Sayuri's busy schedule.

The phone was answered not by the warm voice of her aunt, but by the soft, hesitant voice of her second cousin. "…hello…?"

"Ah! Sorry! Is Shirayuki Sumire there?" Sayuri felt awkward now. The tightness in her chest was increasing. She had not seen her little cousin in quite a while and she was unsure of what to say to her.

There was a pause before the old woman answered. "Sayuri! I'm sorry I missed you earlier! How are you?"

She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear as she talked to her aunt. She talked about her job as a teacher and mentioned that she was a tutor on the side for a little girl. Her aunt was genuinely happy for her; a reaction Sayuri knew she would never get from her own mother. "S-so how's…you know? How's Ume-chan? I don't think I've seen her since before…"

"Oh, she's doing alright. You know, she got accepted into UA! Isn't that fantastic? I knew she could do it! Sayuri, we'll have to do something to celebrate. I'm sure she would love to see you-!"

"I…_can't_. Auntie, I'm sorry, but I just couldn't. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I want to go, but seeing her would just be…" Tears rose to her eyes as she leaned forward and turned to stare up at her Calorie Bomb poster. Staring at her cousin's smile and knowing that seeing his daughter would hurt her too much.

There was a pause before the old woman responded. "I'm sorry. No, I understand. I do. Ume really does look more like _him_ than her mother. Maybe some other time. It's alright."

When the call ended, Sayuri curled up in a ball on her side. _I need to take the poster down. He's been dead for years. But if I put it away, it will really feel like he's gone._

The mattress dipped at her side and Dabi leaned back against the pillow on his side of the bed. "What was that about?"

"…doesn't matter…" she mumbled, pressing her face into her own pillow. "I just need a few minutes."

He sighed in frustration and turned onto his side. Wrapping his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest. "Guess I shouldn't have told you."

"No! I'm glad you did. I'm just…" Sayuri felt his left hand resting on her hip, his right hand trailing up her chest to settle beneath her bust. She flushed pink and bit her lip, trying to focus on what she was saying. "My little cousin got accepted into UA. My aunt wanted to celebrate and I want to go. I haven't seen her or my cousin in a long time. Not since…I lost someone really important to me."

His hold tightened and his warm breath skimmed along the back of her neck, a staple scraping over her skin and making her quiver. "What? More important than your first love?" he taunted. "What was that kid's name?"

"Touya." Her voice was breaking and she struggled as a lump formed in her throat. "And…yeah. He was more important than Touya."

**Shift P.O.V**

_More important than me?_ His eyes narrowed and he pressed his hips forward against her bottom. "Calorie Bomb? That…nerd on that poster over the bed?"

"Don't call him that! He wasn't…just some hero that I looked up to! I loved him like a brother! Even when my parents didn't care about me, _he_ still did! They wouldn't protect me! My own parents didn't care that Endeavor made me take those injuries from his son over and over again! But my cousin…when he found out what was happening…he took care of me and he put a stop to it."

_Calorie Bomb._ Dabi's eyes shifted to the side and he could see the poster from the edge of his vision. The hero, grinning down at them like he was stifling a laugh. He had a vague memory. A fuzzy, deeply buried memory of having seen that face a long time ago. _So that's it._

"I want to be there for my cousin, but she looks too much like him. I couldn't handle it. I'm a coward. I'm letting her down just like how I let Eri-chan down." Sayuri trembled against his chest and actually started hiccupping.

_Damn it._ He was having a flashback to the day he held her when they were kids. She was basically the same as back then; shaking, crying, inconsolable. _I didn't know what to do back then_, he remembered as he grimaced.

Dabi turned onto his back and dragged her so she was lying with her head resting on his chest. Both of his arms wrapped around her and he let her warm tears fall freely onto his bare skin. His fingers ran through her pale hair as he struggled between the flicker of guilt and the undeniable lust that came with having his girlfriend's chest pressing against his side.

Honestly, there was hardly anything in the world that he loved. Just months ago, he would have gladly watched everything go up in bright blue flames around him and burn to ashes. However, now he did have something he cared for. He had already put in so much work to keep Sayuri his and only his. Doing a little more to drag her out this depressive state would probably be worth the reward it brought.

"Get dressed. We're gonna go out." Dabi pulled away from her and forced himself to rummage in the laundry basket for some clean clothes. They were wrinkled because Sayuri had yet to fold them, but that never bothered him before.

She pushed herself to sit up and wiped at her eyes. "Where are we going? I thought you wanted to stay in the apartment today."

He rolled his eyes and picked up his cellphone. "Just do it." As Dabi walked out of her room, he opened a search and looked for "Shirayuki Sumire" since he heard her say that name earlier. He almost scoffed at how easy it was to find her home address.

He never did something this stupidly sentimental, but Dabi just told himself he was doing it for the reward. If he let her see her aunt and cousin from a distance, it would probably be enough to pull her out of this slump. It just annoyed him to see her moping around like this. It was totally unlike the healer he first decided to make his.

Sayuri emerged from her room wearing a lavender sweater and pale grey skirt. She was slouching and sighed when she saw him smirk. "What?"

"That's what you're wearing for a date? That's…seriously it?"

She bit her lip and advanced on him. Apparently feeling bold, she lifted a hand and threaded her fingers into his dark hair. Sayuri pulled his face down to hers, her lips crashing against his as she tried to silently reassure him that she was alright. When she broke the kiss, she was blushing pink. "You didn't say it was a date," she protested. "But I guess…I'll just have to make up for the bland outfit some other way."


	26. Chapter 26

NeonHorizon: Not going to lie. I feel kind of bad for Kurono in this chapter...

* * *

Sayuri almost tripped over her own feet in her rush when she got home from her day job. She had limited time before she was supposed to go see Eri. Normally, she would just go straight to the girl's house after she left the school, but today was different. What was supposed to be a calm afternoon of arts and crafts had turned into an all-out paint and glitter war among kindergartners.

Dabi was lounging on the couch and lazily looked over when she came through the door. He watched her kick off her shoes and start stripping off her clothes as a smirk settled on his lips. Getting up, he approached without a word and looked her up and down. She was hopping as she tried to get her pants off and almost fell, but he caught her.

"What's the rush? Just can't wait," he teased.

The pale-haired woman shivered, feeling his warm breath skim over the curve of her ear. She bit her lower lip as she felt him grind against her bottom, his arms wrapped around her from behind. "I can't right now. I'm sorry!" She tried to pull away, but his hold tightened.

"Seriously?" Dabi slid a hand up along her chest, his hot fingertips skimming over her sensitive skin and making her bite back a whimper. "What if I don't wanna share you tonight?"

"It isn't like that," Sayuri argued. She managed to pull free and turned to face him, her eyes narrowed with determination. The young woman gripped both of his shoulders and leaned up to steal a kiss before she hurried into the bathroom.

She washed quickly; scrubbing away paint and glitter the best she could and washing her hair. Sayuri could feel his eyes on her and she found him leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He smirked when she started to blush. Flustered, Sayuri tried to focus on towel-drying her hair. "What?"

"You look cute when you're panicking. Makes me kinda excited."

Warmth rushed through her and she hurried into her room for clean clothes. She put on a v-neck lavender shirt with long sleeves and a pair of black pants. Sayuri tried to walk past Dabi to leave her room, but he gripped her wrist to stop her. "I'm in a hurry-"

"That's what quickies are for," he pointed out. "C'mon. You seriously wanna go? Just say you're not going today."

"I can't do that. Dabi, I'll be back in a few hours." She could feel her cheeks burning and she looked away, a small grin tugging at her lips. "When I come back…maybe we can have some fun?"

His own grin returned full-force. Dabi threaded a hand into her snowy hair and he leaned down, covering her lips with his. He pinned her against the wall, hips grinding into hers as he groaned into her mouth. When he broke the kiss, he looked almost wicked. "Making me wait? I'm not gonna go easy on you."

Sayuri's heart skipped a beat with excitement and she let her grin turn into a faint smirk. "Maybe that's what I want," she replied in an attempt at flirting.

She had to basically sprint half the way to Eri's house and by the time she reached the house, she was feeling exhausted. The mental toll of leading a class of more than twenty kindergartners. Running to try to get to her tutoring appointment on time.

Kurono opened the door and raised an eyebrow. He almost looked amused. "You're fifteen minutes late," he commented.

"I'm sorry, Kurono-san. The last project of the day was…messier…than I thought it would be. I had to stop at home to shower." She slipped into the house and looked in the direction of Eri's room. "Is Eri-chan waiting for me?"

He closed the door behind her and started toward the little girl's room. "Yeah; she's been waiting on you. Keeps asking if you're not coming." He glanced over at her and seemed to be smiling just slightly. "You smell nice."

The compliment made goose bumps rise on her skin. "Ah…thanks." She was unsure of how exactly to respond to this sort of unsettling comment. Normal people did not say that kind of thing to someone. _Is he just awkward? He's usually pretty quiet and he stays close to Chisaki if Chisaki is around. Is he trying to be friendly right now?_

Smiling back at him politely, she decided to go along with it. "You smell nice, too, Kurono-san." They were at Eri's door now and she was waiting for him to open it. She would do it herself, but he always opened the doors for her or Chisaki whenever she visited.

"It's Sayuri, right?"

_I just want to see Eri._ She looked from him to the door and her smile faltered. "Yeah. It's written as "small lily"," she answered. Getting uncomfortable, she reached for the door to open it herself and entered the room.

Eri was sitting at the little table and her eyes lit up when she saw Sayuri. The young woman crouched down to her eye level and hugged her. The child hugged back, but gently. Much gentler than how most kids her age would hug. "I missed you," the girl said, staring up at her when she sat in the other little chair.

Sayuri smiled and dug around in her bag for a special gift she had picked up the previous day. When she and Dabi went to her aunt's neighborhood, Sayuri spotted something particularly cool. A cat café. Dabi had refused to go in, but she went in and got a small souvenir for Eri. As she pulled the cat stuffed animal out of her bag, Kurono sat on the floor to her right. _What is he doing?_

"What…is that…?" Eri tilted her head curiously when Sayuri put the toy on the table between them.

"It's a present. For you. I went to visit my cousin yesterday. Sort of. And I saw this really cool place. It was a cat café. They had a bunch of different cats inside and they had really cute desserts and stuff." She felt like her heart was going to burst when she saw Eri take the stuffed animal in her little hands.

"How do you "sort of" visit someone?" Kurono questioned.

The pale-haired woman frowned and lowered her head. "I'm not exactly close with my family," she admitted. "They thought I should've become a hero."

"That's-" Kurono looked toward the open doorway, his lips turning down at the corners. "Did you hear that?"

Sayuri glanced over at Eri, who was still examining the fluffy cat stuffed animal. "No. What is it? What did you hear?"

He stood and started toward the door with caution. "Just wait here. I'll be back." Kurono closed the door behind him and set off down the hallway.

_What was that about?_ She tried to shrug it off and rummaged in her bag for the new coloring workbooks she got for Eri to work on. Sayuri brought her chair closer to the child's and let her choose what subject to start with.

Eri picked a math workbook with cute characters in it that demonstrated how to solve simple math problems. It was impressive; the little girl really focused on trying to understand the equations and she was careful about coloring inside of the lines. Sayuri felt a burst of pride each time Eri was able to solve a problem and it was made even better when the child's eyes seemed to sparkle.

_She's a quick learner and it seems like she really enjoys learning. She wouldn't have too much trouble catching up to the kids in my kindergarten class if she was in it. It's the socialization part that might be difficult. _Sayuri ran her fingers through Eri's hair to remove the tangles and she pulled it back into a ponytail so it was away from her face.

"Eri-chan, I have something special planned for tonight's snack. The question is: bunny or bear?"

Her large, red eyes widened as she looked up at Sayuri. "A…bear?"

"You know. A bear. Like…"roar"!" Sayuri lifted her hands and curled her fingers, gnashing her teeth like an angry bear. "You know?" The girl looked alarmed so she was pretty sure Eri was confused. "Bunnies it is, then. Bunnies are cuter anyway, right?"

The little girl nodded. "Bunnies…bunnies are cute!" she agreed.

Before she could say anything else, the door opened again. Kurono's normally pale face looked even paler and he momentarily looked at Eri before staring down at the girl's tutor. "Sayuri. I need you to come with me."

"Oh…okay?" She stood and gave Eri a reassuring smile. "I'll be right back. Try to solve a few on your own while I'm gone, okay?"

Following Kurono out into the hallway, she waited until the door was closed before questioning him. "So what is it? What did you hear earlier? Is everything alright? Did something happen-?"

"It's Kai. You'll see. I just need you to take a look at something."

Sayuri reached out to grab his sleeve and frowned when he looked over his shoulder at her. "Is Chisaki-san okay?"

"Do you like Kai?"

The question threw her off so much that she actually stumbled a little. He made her nervous and she had been sure that this was no secret. "Like…?"

Kurono's eyebrows knit in irritation. "You know what I'm talking about."

Sayuri, still not quite sure what his relationship with Chisaki was, held up both hands in defense. "No! I mean, not like…"like". Kurono-san, I think you should be able to love whoever you want as long as no one's getting hurt!" she blurted out, her face going bright pink.

In her mind, him asking that question answered her question of his relationship with Chisaki. She was sure he had feelings for him and he was getting jealous of Sayuri so that was why he was asking. Sayuri, wanting to keep the peace and dispel any misunderstandings, wanted to reassure him that Chisaki was all his.

The pale-haired man blinked slowly and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I just…" She rubbed the back of her neck, still blushing and looking away. "Look, you should be allowed to love whoever you want. I think so, anyway."

They had reached the kitchen doorway and he still looked confused. "What are you saying? Are you confessing to me?"

"No! I didn't mean it like-! I just meant that if you like him, I'm not going to judge you!" she protested.

Before Kurono could say anything else, his attention was pulled to the figure moving toward them from within the kitchen. "Sorry, Kai. Here's Sayuri."

She was now uneasy on top of feeling embarrassed. Turning her head, she saw Chisaki gripping his wounded left arm with his right hand and approaching them. Even wounded, he still seemed intimidating as he made his way over to his two white-haired companions. Her gaze was soon drawn to the deep slice across his outer wrist, his blood staining his glove a dark red.

"What happened?" Sayuri felt goose bumps rising on her skin as he came to stand close to her.

His narrowed golden eyes lowered to the gushing wound and then back to her. "A kitchen accident."

_But how?! This doesn't look like a "chopping vegetables and slipped" accident. This is more like you shoved your hand into a full sink that had knives in it._ She hesitantly reached toward his arm before glancing up at him. "Do you mind? I can heal it. I'll need some bandages for myself afterwards, but I'll have to touch you-"

"I'll take it." Kurono rolled up his left sleeve and held out his arm. "You can transfer wounds, right? You've got your teaching job so if you took this one, it'd slow you down. Give it to me."

Sayuri nodded. "I guess I can do that. You're sure, Kurono-san?" He nodded once and looked to Chisaki as she did. "And, Chisaki-san, you're okay with me touching you? I have to make skin contact for my quirk to work."

There was a faint twitch of a facial muscle behind his black medical mask. "Just take care of it. I've got a kid, don't I? So it wouldn't be good for her to see me hurt like this. We wouldn't want to make Eri worry. If Kurono takes it, he can hide it better than I can."

"Okay…" She tentatively set her left hand over Chisaki's wound and put her right hand on Kurono's arm. Sayuri felt a tingling in her spine, a twisting in her gut. More goose bumps formed on her as she let her quirk work its magic. She watched Chisaki's injury seal up so it just left a scar and then felt the slice on her own wrist in the same place. Biting back a hiss of pain, she redirected half of the damage to Kurono and heard him grunt at the agony of his flesh being sliced open.

Sayuri was looking at Kurono as he held his arm, staring down at his partially-healed wound with a strange expression on his face. She jolted when her left wrist was taken by a gloved hand and lifted. Her head turned toward Chisaki and saw that hives had broken out on his skin, but he seemed otherwise fine.

Turning her wrist to examine the half-healed wound, he held his own left wrist next to hers to compare. "Identical. It's impressive. I didn't think it worked that way. When you said you could give someone's injuries to someone else-"

"I don't usually do it that way, but…it was a deep cut. I split the damage between us," she explained. "Those hives-?"

"I see. It's a useful thing, isn't it?" Chisaki released her wrist and his eyes settled on something below her face. A gloved hand reached out and traced along the scar on her collarbone, making her wince. The scar that matched one of Dabi's. "Was this a wound that you took from someone? I've never noticed it before."

Sayuri took a step back, frowning. "That's…_personal_, Chisaki-san."


	27. Chapter 27

_I can't remember what your name was. _Dabi lifted the little white rat, staring into its bright red eyes. He frowned when it leaned forward to tap its nose against his and he put it down in the cage again. It immediately scurried over to the handful of food he had just tossed in there and ate alongside its companion.

Feeding the rats was entertaining for a little while, but now he was bored again. Dabi spent most of his days napping, rummaging around for food in the kitchen like a trash panda, or going for walks to try to find someone challenging to fight. Although he was trying to limit how often he used his quirk to incinerate people. Not that he cared about them; he just hated the way Sayuri complained about the smell of burned skin and hair if he was hit with too much smoke.

A polite knock at the door made him look over and he crossed the apartment quietly, listening for the jingle of keys. Wishful thinking; he wanted Sayuri to come home early from her tutoring appointment, but he knew better. _She cares about that kid like it's hers_, he thought bitterly.

Looking through the peephole, Dabi's frown got deeper. He put a hand against the door and stayed completely still as he look out at Fuyumi. The young woman was frowning as well, but checking her phone. Typing something as Dabi watched from the other side of the door.

When she lifted her phone and started talking, her eyebrows raised and she looked away from the door in embarrassment. "Sorry, Sayuri! I forgot you weren't home today! Oh? Your boyfriend's home? No, no! That's okay! It can wait until tomorrow. Sorry to bother you. So…you're not busy tomorrow after work, right? Do you want to get coffee?"

There was a pang in his chest as a sense of familiarity came to him. The woman with red and white hair ended her call, tucked away her phone into her bag, and bowed at the door in a silent apology for disturbing him before she walked off. Dabi stayed there for a long moment, watching until Fuyumi disappeared from his line of sight. Remembering something from a long time ago.

He finally turned away from the door and ran a hand through his dark, spiky hair. Releasing a frustrated sigh, he trudged into the bedroom and let himself fall facedown onto the bed. _Stupid. Why am I thinking about it? It's fuzzy._

Dabi shook his head, trying to clear the memory. Trying not to think about being a kid and his sister running up to him with that snowy-haired girl holding her hand. He rolled onto his back and looked at the poster above the bed. Meeting the upside down gaze of the hero Calorie Bomb. "What the hell are you staring at? You keep smiling like that. You don't even know, do you?"

He pushed himself up and onto his knees so he get could closer to the poster, gripping the headboard with one hand. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're dead. You don't matter anymore. You can't help her. She's got _me_ now." Tilting his head, he leaned closer and lifted his left hand. Blue flames danced along his fingers and he was tempted to let them destroy the poster.

Melt the plastic overlay, burn the frame to tinder, crisp up the paper. Devour the signature and encouraging words from the hero. Burn away at it until his happy, grinning face was gone without a trace. He wanted to do it and he got so close to it, but he managed to stop himself.

Dabi knew exactly how she would react. _She'd never forgive me if I did it_, he thought with a grimace. He leaned back and shook his head. "Whatever. You're not worth a fight." The dark-haired man got off the bed and grabbed his hoodie out of the laundry basket.

Now he was in a bad mood again. Entertainment and fantasies of revenge could only take him so far before the bitterness came bubbling up again. Before, it was due to Sayuri being in such a rush to leave him so she could go tutor that kid. Now he was bitter at the thought of her really, truly leaving him.

He had so few things he actually care about and imagining life without Sayuri made him scowl. As he left the apartment, he felt that bad feeling grow. The idea of waking up alone, not seeing her rush around to get ready in the morning, not eating her mediocre cooking, not being able to see her smile or see her get flustered. Sitting alone in the evening instead of with Sayuri cuddling against him. Taking care of his own wounds and with no one to hold onto at night when he started to have dark, intrusive thoughts.

Dabi felt marginally better after he came across some unfortunate idiots that thought mugging him would be a good idea. Standing over their burning remains in a narrow alley, he watched the crackling blue flames and grinned. He pictured the father of that little girl being burned alive instead of the idiot he was staring down at. That pale-haired, serious-looking guy that was currently taking up Sayuri's time and keeping her away from him.

He waited for the flames to die down before pressing a boot down onto the skull of the closest person. Dabi lifted his leg and stomped down hard, listening to the satisfying crack of bone. He kicked the fragments further into the flames and watched the cinders shift before he turned away. His mood was elevated until the wind picked up. Ashes covered his clothes and the smoke blew directly onto him.

**Shift P.O.V**

"See? Isn't it cute? Everything looks like bunnies, right?" Sayuri smiled down at Eri as she settled the last onigiri into the bento box. Some of it looked kind of messy, some might say nightmarish, but she was sure it would at least taste good.

Eri was standing on tiptoe on the little stepstool next to her and stared down at the food with wide, sparkling red eyes. "It…it looks cute! Can we really eat it?" She looked to Sayuri with a worried frown.

"Of course!" She helped Eri down from the stool and picked up their bento boxes. A cute pink one for Eri and a lavender one for Sayuri. She had picked up these cheap plastic bento boxes from the store when she got the supplies for the meals so they were nothing special, but Eri seemed impressed.

As she settled the boxes on the table, she felt eyes on her. She lifted her gaze and met the golden eyes of Chisaki from across the kitchen. Sayuri forced a smile and nodded toward the counter. "There are some extras, if you're hungry."

This seemed to be all that Kurono needed to hear before helping himself to some of the left over onigiri. Chisaki shook his head and started toward the table, tugging absently at his blood-stained gloves to pull them higher up. "I'm not hungry," he began. "But I want to see what you made."

Sayuri focused on Eri as the little girl hesitantly picked up her fork. Watching her look apologetic as she used the fork to pick up a carrot that Sayuri had peeled to look like a rabbit. "It's okay. It's food, Eri-chan. You can eat it. It will be a sad bunny if you don't eat it," she assured her.

"O-okay." Eri took a bite and nodded, her eyes widening. "It's…really yummy!"

"I'm glad you like it. Go ahead and try everything, okay?" Sayuri picked up her own fork to start eating, but tensed when a hand gripped the back of her chair. Gloved fingers pressed against the back of her shoulder and she fought to keep her hands steady.

"A rabbit-themed bento? So this was the snack for today?" Chisaki's voice came from very close to her left side shortly before he leaned down. "Is this the sort of thing you make for your students? It looks childish. You're going to spoil them."

"It helps to make the food look cute, though," she argued. "Sometimes kids don't want to eat unless it's something really visually appealing. Some kids in my class are even really picky about texture or color. There's this one boy that won't eat anything that isn't red-"

"Are you a parent?"

Heat rose to her face and Sayuri bit the inside of her cheek. She gripped her fork a little harder. "I'm not a parent, but I'm a teacher. I went to college and studied child development and early childhood education."

"Don't you think that a child's _parent_ should be the one to make the decisions?" Chisaki looked from Sayuri over to Eri, who set down her fork and lowered her head. "Do you like it? Are you enjoying the food that Naosu made for you?" He saw the little girl nod, her eyes teary. "What is it, Eri?" Chisaki's right hand left the back of Sayuri's chair and settled on her shoulder.

"I-I like it. It's cute," Eri spoke. "Don't…don't be mad at Sayuri. Please"

The pale-haired woman felt his fingers tighten on her shoulder for a second before loosening again. "Thank you, Eri-chan. Maybe next we can do a flower-themed bento." Sayuri put on a smile; trying to reassure the little girl.

"You really have a…_talent_…for working with children, don't you, Naosu? I could almost say that you're a natural. You have good maternal instincts."

She felt a prickly sensation along her arms and spine. The hair was standing up on the back of her neck. The young woman turned toward Chisaki with her practiced smile in place. She rested a hand on his forearm, mimicking his tendency to invade her personal space. "And you're a good father, Chisaki-san."

The man stared down at where her hand was making contact with his bare forearm. Hives were beginning to form from the skin on skin contact. As if in retaliation, a gloved hand took her left wrist and he drew it closer for him to inspect. "You took half of my injury earlier," he started as his free hand drew a finger along her half-healed wound. "Kurono said that he would take the injury so why did you split the damage?"

Sayuri tried to pull her hand back, but his hold on her wrist tightened. Her soft lilac eyes met the harsh golden ones of Chisaki and she almost flinched back. Her instincts were screaming at her, just like the time he had let her take Eri for a little walk in the garden. She felt the urge to run. Grab Eri and just sprint out of the house.

_That would be kidnapping_, she reminded herself. She held her smile in place and tilted her head slightly. "Kurono-san is always so polite and kind. I didn't think it was fair for him to take all of the pain. It was a deep cut. You should…really be more _careful_, Chisaki-san."

There was a slight muscular twitch behind his plain black medical mask. "I see. You think highly of Kurono, don't you?"

The pale-haired man was wearing a confused frown as he listened to this conversation and approached the table to pull out a chair. "Here you go, Kai."

The masked man appeared apprehensive about sitting down, but lowered himself onto the seat. "I apologize. I forgot that I was standing. I didn't mean to intimidate you, Naosu."

_Still too close._ Sayuri was extremely aware of how his chair was positioned so he could look at her. She felt a twisting feeling in her gut as Kurono seated himself as well. Eating anxiously, she glanced across at Eri. The little girl was staring at Sayuri with wide, worried eyes. Sayuri put on a real smile and lifted an apple bunny with her fork. "You need to eat some more, Eri-chan. You want to grow up to be big and strong, right?"

When the little girl had finished eating, Kurono offered to walk her back to her room while Sayuri cleaned up the kitchen. "Chisaki-san, most single parents are a little uneasy when their kid is at this age. They're still learning so much and they're just starting real school. It's a little overwhelming for parents and kids. You seem like you're pretty composed, for being so young."

Chisaki stood from the table, adjusting his gloves again. "What can I say? I've always had a fondness for things that are orderly. Clean. You feel the same way, don't you?" As he got close to her, he began to take in little details he had missed earlier. The glitter twinkling in her hair, the lingering smell of lemon-scented soap, and the still-healing scratch beneath her left eye.

"What happened here?" he questioned, reaching a gloved hand toward her. His finger traced the scratch and he raised an eyebrow when she flinched.

"My _boyfriend_. He got injured so I took the injury from him." She hoped that would be enough to make him back off. Her spine felt tingly and the prickly feeling on her skin had begun again.

He ran his thumb along the scratch a second time before lowering his hand. "And what kind of man is he that he let you hurt yourself for him?" Chisaki sighed through his mask and shook his head. "If you ask me, that just sounds _irresponsible_. Maybe it's for the best that you don't have children."

"It's not that I don't want children," she protested. Sayuri felt her face burning with embarrassment as she turned away to finish washing the bento boxes. "I just don't have any yet. That doesn't mean that I'll never have any."

For some reason, this seemed to satisfy him for a moment. He looked down at the sink full of soapy water and appeared to be carefully choosing his next words. "Eri's so fond of you. Just imagine how disappointed she would be if you ever stopped showing up. It would break her heart."

She felt a pang deep in her chest and she lowered her head. "I wouldn't abandon her." Just the thought of abandoning Eri the way that her own parents had abandoned her was enough to make her heart ache with despair. She turned to keep talking and she froze when she saw Chisaki removing his blood-stained gloves.

"You're dedicated. I admire that. It's less common with people our age nowadays, isn't it? But you've got some good values. You're…_useful_."


	28. Chapter 28

"I'm sorry if I bothered your boyfriend yesterday. I just went to your apartment without thinking. He wasn't upset, was he?" Fuyumi poured some tea for both of them, wearing a worried frown.

"No, it's okay. He was probably just napping," Sayuri assured her. Honestly, Dabi acted annoyed by the interruption when she mentioned it, but she could tell that he really could not care less. If anything, he seemed more annoyed by the fact that she had gone out.

Instead of going out for coffee, the two friends had opted to get cake slices from a bakery and have tea at Fuyumi's house. Her friend assured Sayuri that her father would be out late. Of course, Sayuri still felt uneasy. She kept glancing toward the door; terrified that at any minute Fuyumi's father would show up. She jumped a little when Fuyumi put a cake slice in front of her.

"Are you okay? I noticed that cut under your eye." The other woman touched a fingertip to the smooth skin beneath her left eye, pointing at where Sayuri had taken Dabi's injury.

"I'm fine. Really…you don't have to worry about me. Let's talk about work. How is your class doing? We're still trying to fill a position at my school so I'm still covering two classes most of the time."

Fuyumi pushed a lock of red and white hair behind her ear. She told Sayuri about her class and some of her lesson plans for the next week. "So how's the tutoring going? You said before that you're worried about the little girl. Have there been any changes?"

Sayuri's eyes widened a little, a shiver running down her spine as she was reminded of the previous day. She shook her head and took a gulp of her tea before even trying to answer. "Her dad is so…ugh. I don't even know how to explain it. Here. See this?" She held out her hand to show Fuyumi the healing cut on the outer part of her wrist.

"Ouch. What happened?"

"He got sliced pretty deep and he wouldn't tell me what happened, but he wanted me to give his injury to his friend. I ended up splitting the damage, but it was still kind of deep. And that's not even the weirdest part." Sayuri's pulse started to quicken and she felt herself begin to sweat.

The memory alone was enough to make her tremble. She half-closed her eyes and remembered standing in the kitchen with Chisaki talking to her. Washing some dishes and noticing that he was taking off his gloves. He had stepped closer, a hand reaching out. He seemed to notice her wince because his hand stopped just an inch away from her cheek.

When she asked him what he was doing, he murmured an apology and put his gloves on again. It seemed innocent enough, but something about the interaction had put her on edge. She looked across the table at Fuyumi and frowned. "Some of your students have single dads, right?"

"Of course. Why…?" Fuyumi's eyebrows lifted. "Sayuri, you think he might have a crush on you?"

"Well…I don't know if that's it, exactly. Sometimes, the stuff he does or says is just really unprofessional. He keeps bringing up kids and he's asked if I want to have my own. And I told you that he keeps touching me, right? Not really inappropriately, though. He touches my shoulder or one time he touched my hair. And he always wears gloves; I think he's got a phobia of germs or dirt. But yesterday he took his gloves off and…"

"Have you told the school?"

"The tutoring isn't through the school," Sayuri explained. "I know I need to be stern about it, but I'm afraid of him getting mad and stopping the tutoring. I don't want to leave Eri alone. She doesn't get much interaction since she never gets to go outside so I'm kind of like her only lifeline to the outside world. Fuyumi, I just…I sometimes get this urge to run out of there with her, but-"

"That's _kidnapping_," Fuyumi said at the same time as Sayuri. "Maybe you need to talk to him one on one and just explain that he's making you uncomfortable."

"Maybe. Is that how you deal with it? You probably get hit on by single dads, right? I mean…you're pretty cute." Sayuri had been looking down at her tea and when she lifted the cup, she caught sight of a pink blushing rising to Fuyumi's face. "What is it?"

"Sayuri, that's ridiculous," she argued, looking away. "Who has time for that kind of thing anyway, right? Oh! Did you want some leftovers to take-?"

The door to the dining room slid open and Sayuri immediately lowered her head. Every muscle tensed and she had to fight the urge to sprint out of the room and throw herself out the nearest window.

"Hey, Fuyumi, did you-? Oh. Hi, Sayuri-chan. I didn't know you were here." Natsuo stepped into the room and looked down at the empty cake box with a frown. "Anyway, sorry I didn't call ahead. My plans got cancelled so I'll be here for dinner." There was a sound further down the hallway, followed by footsteps.

Natsuo's frown turned bitter and he closed the door behind him. "He's home. I'll just get dinner out somewhere. Don't worry about me." He turned his attention from his sister to her friend. "Want to walk with me, Sayuri-chan? I'll make sure you don't have to look at him." The pale-haired young man held out his hand for her to take so he could lead her out of the house.

**Shift P.O.V**

The idea of Sayuri going into the house made him sick to his stomach, but he tolerated it. He had to, unless he wanted to make her upset. As much as he disliked the thought of her going into that place that gave them both such deep trauma.

Dabi followed her at a distance so he would at least be in the neighborhood when she came out. He could always make up an excuse about being in the area by coincidence. Plus, he could find some fuel for his flames along the way.

There was a decent layer of ash in his hair and on his hoodie by the time she emerged from the Todoroki house. When she stepped outside, Dabi's stapled, two-toned lips curved into a half-smile. The warm glow of the sunset cast shadows on her pale, round face in a way that made his breathing hitch. His mind started to consider all of the things he wanted to do that night when he got her home, but then he saw him.

Todoroki Natsuo. Coming out of the house behind her, holding her hand. Frowning at first, pausing to look over his shoulder as the door closed, and then giving her a sheepish sort of smile. The pale-haired young man was talking to her and it was clear she was still friendly with him, even though she never talked about him to Dabi.

Watching them interact as they started walking down the sidewalk, Dabi's eyes narrowed. The muscles in his jaw clenched as he watched Sayuri mess with her hair while she talked. He saw Natsuo shaking his head and frowning like he was trying to look tough. When he put a hand on Sayuri's shoulder, Dabi could feel his body temperature rising with his jealousy and anger.

_You two are awfully close_, he thought as he saw her smile. _When did you get so close? What did I miss? _Dabi slipped out of the alley with the hood up on his hoodie, keeping his eyes on the two pale-haired figures. Looking the girl up and down and pausing to watch her hips sway side to side.

His smile was gone; he was past the point of smiling after seeing her interact with Natsuo. Instead, a smirk curled his lips and he followed them. Dabi hung back a little and stared as they reached a street corner. Sayuri said something to him and bowed, being overly formal. Natsuo held up a hand, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck. Shortly afterwards, they parted ways.

**Shift P.O.V**

_That was nice of him_, she thought with a smile. It had been a while since she actually spoke to Natsuo. They walked together for a while so they could talk and catch up. As soon as she mentioned a boyfriend, he got a little protective. Not in a possessive kind of way, but in a big brother kind of way.

She checked the time on her phone and her smile fell. _Damn it. It's this late already?!_ Dabi had been out when she left, but she knew he had to be home by now. _Okay. I need to call him and just explain-_

"Caught you." An arm wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her back against a warm chest. Dabi leaned down and nipped at her ear, reveling in the whimper it pulled from her. "You and that guy looked pretty friendly," he commented. "Wanna tell me what's going on?"

Sayuri's face flushed a bright, hot pink. Her lilac eyes widened as she felt his hips press forward against her bottom. "Dabi…?"

"You just get off on making me jealous?" he teased.

"It's not like that," she muttered. "Natsuo is just a friend. He's Fuyumi's brother. We've been friends since we were kids." She closed her eyes and quivered as she felt his warm breath skim along the side of her neck. A tingly heat was settling in the pit of her stomach and her legs moved closer together.

Dabi's lips just barely touched her sensitive skin and he felt her back arch in response. "You sure about that?"

"He's not even my type!"

"Oh yeah? So what's your type?" His left hand settled on her hip, pushing his thumb through the belt loop on her pants.

Sayuri turned around to face him and slipped her arms around his neck. Wanting to sound flirty, but knowing she was still far from his level, she leaned up to his right ear. "You know I'm into guys with dark hair and piercings," she whispered.

She pulled away and flashed him a small smirk before she started off down the sidewalk, swaying her hips in an exaggerated way. Playing with a loose strand of her snow-colored hair, she listened to his quick footsteps approaching her from behind. Sayuri expected him to walk next to her or maybe wrap his arms around her again. Instead, she found his hand gripping hers and he pulled her along behind him with a smug sort of smirk on his face.

"You got me excited," he started, his tone husky. "I just hope you can deal with the consequences."

Sayuri blushed red and smiled sheepishly. "Oh? So we're not going to talk about _your_ type?" she tried to tease him.

"I'm not a picky guy." He glanced over his shoulder and was satisfied when he saw her smile falter. "Are you serious? If I had to say my type, it's girls with white hair that blush too much. I said it before, right? I said I was gonna keep you. You think that's a choice I'd make lightly? I wouldn't decide to keep you if I didn't want you."

Lying in bed after they were done, Sayuri cuddled against his side and stared up at his face. Dabi was fading in and out of consciousness, but when he did open his intense turquoise eyes and saw her looking at him, he smirked. She glanced away and felt his left hand run through her hair.

"What're you staring at, babe? You already want to go another round?"

The young woman pouted and closed her eyes. "You're really warm."

"I'm always warm," he argued.

"Yeah, but…it kind of reminds me of someone. Because you're warmer than usual." Sayuri felt him tense and she looked up at him again. "Dabi? What's your family name?"

His fingers tangled in her hair and he pulled her head back. He stared down into her lilac eyes with a burning turquoise gaze; watching her eyes widen and seeing the way she bit her lower lip. "What's the matter? You wanna know so you can decide if you wanna take it or not? Is that some kind of deal-breaker for you?"

"It isn't like that," she protested. "I just want to know what your family name is. You have a flame quirk kind of like-"

Dabi flipped them so she was on her back beneath him. His knee planted between her thighs and he threaded his fingers into her long, snowy hair again. "You know, I don't like sharing you with so many people. Makes me pretty jealous. I almost wish I could just keep you here all to myself. First you go off to tutor that guy's kid and today you ran off to hang out with Fuyumi and her brother. It's like you want me to leave my mark."

Sayuri felt his free hand run along her side, tracing her curves. His warm lips brushed against the sensitive spot between her collar bone and neck, making her back arch. "Dabi…"

"Right here. You really like it, right? I'm just gonna leave a little mark here to show them who you belong to," he murmured. "You've got tutoring tomorrow, right? So that guy can see it and maybe he'll get the message."

She was about to argue, but felt his lips latch onto her pale, sensitive skin. Sayuri's hips lifted and she slipped her arms around his neck. Her fingers tangled in his dark, spiky hair and gently dug her nails into his scalp, making him groan against her skin. His hips pressed down on her hers, pinning her against the bed.

The next morning, she scrambled to search through her dresser for her lavender turtleneck, but it was missing. She knew it would be difficult to hide the mark on her neck; it was pretty dark and Sayuri rarely wore makeup so she lacked the foundation needed to cover it.

"That looks…pretty deep." Dabi wrapped his arms around her from behind and leaned down, pressing his lips against the bruise.


	29. Chapter 29

NeonHorizon: Remember Chisaki's plan...?

* * *

Sayuri glanced at her image in the camera of her phone, checking the side of her neck where Dabi had left a mark. There was no sign of the mark now thanks to a paint fight breaking out at the school. She got paint on her cheek and clothes so she took advantage of that and just smeared some neon pink paint over the mark on her neck. It looked ridiculous, but this should kill two birds with one stone.

_If I look messy, maybe Chisaki will keep away from me._ She half-smiled and put her phone away as she approached the house. _I just wish he would stop hovering around us when I'm tutoring Eri. It was okay the first few times, but now it just feels weird._

She was adjusting the strap on her bag as she stepped through the gate onto the premises so she was a little distracted. When Sayuri slammed into something very solid and warm, she stumbled back a step and muttered an apology on reflex. As she lifted her soft lilac eyes, she tensed.

Standing in front of her was a man she had never seen around the house before. Tall, muscled, with long, wild, light brown hair and wearing some sort of hood that was pushed back from his face. For a moment, she thought she might have accidentally walked through the gate to the wrong house, but then she saw Kurono emerge from the door behind the man.

Before Kurono could say anything, the stranger leaned down toward Sayuri and smirked. "What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this? You lost or something?"

She took a step back, frowning. "Excuse me?"

"Rappa." The pale-haired man's voice rang from the doorway in a warning tone and made the stranger pause as he tried to step toward her. Kurono's eyes met Sayuri's when she looked toward him and he gave her a beckoning nod.

The young woman cautiously moved around the man and walked over to Kurono briskly. She had never expected to be happy to see his cold, expressionless face before, but now she was actually glad to see him. Sayuri heard the scuff of the man's shoes over the ground as he turned and felt his gaze skim along her form as she approached Kurono.

He pushed the door open further to let her in and he paused, keeping his eyes on the other man. Finally, he closed the door and turned his attention to Sayuri. It was now that Kurono noticed the paint on her and he raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?"

She looked at the door as she adjusted her bag again, still frowning. "Who was that? I've never seen him here before."

"Don't worry about him." Both subjects were dropped and he began walking down the hallway without a word.

The young woman followed closely, glancing back over her shoulder. Whoever the stranger was, he had a menacing kind of energy. Dangerous. She wondered for a moment what might have happened to her if Kurono had not been there, but she quickly shook the thoughts away.

"How's your wrist?" she asked. He was more tolerable than Chisaki. She wanted to stay on Kurono's good side.

He pushed back his sleeve and held his arm out to her. "It doesn't sting anymore. How's yours?"

Sayuri held out her wrist so it was next to his. They were healing at the same rate so they matched perfectly. She had to half-smile. "Kind of weird, right?"

"Yeah." Kurono's eyes narrowed on his own partially healed wrist.

The rest of the walk was done in silence and when he reached Eri's room, the door was already open. The little girl was sitting at the small table in her room and had one of her old activity books open. Chisaki was sitting across from her in silence. Staring intently at the pages with his brow furrowed.

"Kai. Sayuri's here." The pale-haired man gestured for her to go in and lingered in the doorway as she greeted Eri. "You have a second? I need to tell you something, Kai."

Sayuri gave both men a small, polite smile. Something practiced and used for when she was dealing with her students' parents. "It's fine. Eri-chan and I can get started on the workbooks I brought," she told them. She could see the disgust on Chisaki's face as he took in her paint-splattered appearance. It only made her smile grow and she gave him a little wave.

Kneeling on the floor next to Eri's chair, she brought out the new workbooks she got from the school. "Okay, Eri-chan. We have a few options. I brought a science one, a math one, and an art one. Which one do you want to do first?"

"Art…?" The little girl blinked and stared down at the workbook covered in flowers and cartoon characters.

Seeing the girl's big, red eyes twinkle, Sayuri's lips curled into a real smile. She had looked so sad when Sayuri first walked in and she could only imagine that Chisaki had been snapping at her for something stupid like writing crookedly. "Art is the most fun, if you ask me. Look at this; we have kitties, bunnies, a bunch of different flowers…"

"I-I want to do art," Eri decided, taking the workbook in her delicate hands.

Sayuri retrieved some art supplies she had picked up at the store on her way there; a fresh box of crayons with over a hundred colors, some markers, glitter pens, and colored pencils. "Want me to pull your hair back?"

"Yes…please."

"You know, you're more polite than any of my students," she commented. Sayuri brought a brand new hairbrush out of her bag and ran it through Eri's wavy, pale hair to detangle it. She tried not to disrupt Eri as she pulled the girl's hair back into a fluffy sort of ponytail, while the child looked over her new art supplies.

When Sayuri moved beside her again, she saw the girl's eyes watering and she frowned. "Eri-chan? What is it? What's wrong?"

Eri's thin arms wrapped around Sayuri and she pressed her face into the young woman's shoulder. "You're so nice…"

It felt like her heart was cracking. The teacher hugged back and frowned, patting the girl's back gently. "Eri-chan…" It reminded her of when she was a kid; before her parents turned their backs on her. When her mother would have her help make dinner and she would tell Sayuri how proud she was.

Sayuri carefully pulled away and brought a flower-printed handkerchief out of her pocket to wipe away Eri's tears. "Listen. I want you to be happy, Eri-chan. So if there's anything you need, don't be afraid to ask, okay?" She hoped this would encourage Eri to tell her if there was something shady happening with Chisaki, but instead found the girl hugging her again.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Eri's voice was just barely a whisper and her words made Sayuri's eyes widen.

Patting the girl's back again, her frown deepened. "I won't let myself get hurt. Because then I wouldn't be able to help you," she promised. Even as she said this, she felt her pulse begin to race. _What does she mean? Does she mean Chisaki? Is she afraid that he's going to do something to me?_

The bedroom door was opened by Kurono to admit Chisaki. The man was tugging at his gloves to pull them higher and his golden eyes settled on the young woman kneeling next to the little girl's chair. "I need to speak to you privately, Naosu."

Sayuri was reminded of a scene from a movie. An executioner with an axe standing in the doorway of a prisoner on the day set for their death. A tingle ran along her spine as she looked to Eri. The little girl was wearing a worried frown now and she lowered her eyes to the open workbook in front of her.

"I'll be right back, okay, Eri-chan? Why don't you pick out a picture to color and you can show it to me when I come back?"

Eri was trembling a little and her red eyes lifted to Sayuri's lilac ones. "You…promise that you're coming back?"

There was a tightening around Sayuri's heart, but she nodded and smiled. "I promise that I'll be right back."

Stepping out into the hallway, she felt her unease growing. Chisaki was walking ahead of her with Kurono behind her. Sayuri rubbed at the scar on her wrist, trying to ease her feelings of tension, but it was no use. She felt like she was about to step into a trap. Her every instinct screamed at her to run away, but she had promised Eri that she would return. Abandoning the little girl was just not an option.

On a darker note, if Chisaki or Kurono harmed her then she would have some proof. Proof that Eri needed to be removed from their care. Eri might have a chance at normality with a warm family, even if it meant sacrificing herself.

To her surprise, he led her to the garden in the back of the house. Kurono opened the door and Chisaki stepped out into the afternoon light. Sayuri followed him with hesitation, watching him closely. "What did you want to discuss, Chisaki-san? Is it about the lesson plan-?"

"You're a mess." His words cut through her sentence as he turned to look her up and down; scrutinizing the paint smears and glitter that seemed to be eternally stuck in her hair. Chisaki tugged at his gloves again as he stepped closer to her. "It's so unprofessional. I really expected more out of you."

She tensed as he stopped within arm's reach of her. "I'm sorry. I didn't have time to stop at home to clean up first," she explained, rubbing the back of her neck. Sayuri bit the inside of her cheek when a gloved hand reached out and brushed her long, snow-pale hair over her shoulder. The young woman shivered.

He sighed heavily in a disappointed way and held out a hand. Kurono placed a pack of sanitary wipes into Chisaki's open palm, keeping his eyes averted from Sayuri. "If you're going to be a bad influence on Eri, I might need to rethink this arrangement. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have someone like you teaching her," he commented.

"No! I mean…I'll clean up, okay? I was just in a hurry today!" Sayuri argued. She reached for the pack of wipes, but felt a twisting in her stomach when she thought of wiping the paint off of her neck.

A gloved hand closed around her wrist and he leaned down toward her, his eyes narrowed above his mask in displeasure. "If you were capable, I would have expected you to do it before you came here. I'm going to show you how to do it properly. Stay still."

Sweat dotted her skin as Sayuri watched him open the pack. She wanted to run. She wanted to shove him away from her. One glance toward Kurono made her realize it was a bad idea. The frown he directed at her was not displeasure; it was a silent warning.

She tensed as gloved fingers gripped her jaw and held her head in place. His other hand wiped at the paint on her cheek, his face contorted in disgust behind his mask. Her hands curled into fists at her sides and her palms sweated. Her stomach was twisting into knots as she felt him apply more pressure than he had to. Like he was trying to punish her for getting paint on her skin.

Sayuri held her breath and closed her eyes when he finally started wiping at the paint on the side of her neck. She felt his grip tighten when Dabi's mark was revealed and she half-opened her eyes. Chisaki's eyes narrowed again and he lifted them to her face. The young woman got a horrible sinking feeling.

"What's this?" His thumb swiped over the mark and he saw her wince. Shaking his head, he pushed her head back a little and to the side so he had a better view.

"My boyfriend-" she started, but winced as he touched it again. Just feeling his gloved fingertips against her skin was enough to make her skin raise with goose bumps. She lifted a hand, but hesitated to grab his wrist.

"You have bad taste," he remarked with a sigh. "Irresponsible. Disrespectful. Probably only cares about himself. _Dirty_. Is that really the sort of person you would want to be with?"

"I love him," she argued. Sayuri's hand closed around his wrist, below the edge of his glove. Almost immediately, his skin broke out in hives and his glare hardened. The grip on her jaw tightened painfully before he released her.

"I see. That's kind of a disappointment."

Again, she experienced that sinking feeling as she stared up into his eyes. "Chisaki-san? I don't understand."

"It's fine. Really, it might've been too much to ask from you anyway."

"What?" Sayuri's hold on his wrist loosened little by little. When she finally released him, her pulse was racing so fast that it hurt. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.

He examined the hives on his wrist and his brow furrowed. Golden eyes lifted to meet her lilac ones again. "Hold still."

Sweat rolled down her spine beneath her shirt as the young woman watched him tug at the glove on his right hand. Dragging it off and taking it in his left hand. A feeling of cold dread fell over her seconds before his palm and fingertips made contact with her cheek. "What…were you going to ask?" she forced out, fighting down her fear and the undeniable urge to slap him. Forcing her eyes to stay on his.


	30. Chapter 30

NeonHorizon: So...are you reading for Overhaul or Dabi?

* * *

"So…_now_ you're ready to listen to me." Cold golden eyes stared down into Sayuri's lilac ones. Studying her. As if he was searching for something she might be hiding from him.

Sayuri could feel her pulse racing like she was prey being stared down by a predator. She wanted to look away from Chisaki. She wanted to look anywhere but into those intense eyes. At the same time, something told her not to. Something struck such intense fear in her heart that she was sure if she looked away from him, he might snap her neck.

The fingertips of his right hand pressed against her cheekbone as his palm settled flat against her skin. Even as hives spread up his exposed forearm. He pushed his discarded glove into his pocket and his left hand lifted so now he held her face in both hands. Stepping closer and not once breaking his stare.

"_Now_ you're ready to listen. _Now_ you're ready to be good," he continued. "You have good instincts. Sayuri. You know it, don't you? Right now, I'm holding your life in my hands."

"Kai." Kurono took a step toward them from the open doorway, but neither of the two looked over at him.

"She knows already. You've _always_ known, haven't you? Sayuri. You're intelligent. More intelligent than you like to let me think. From day one, you've been deceiving me. Letting me think that your head was empty. You just wanted to help. Helpful Sayuri coming every day to tutor the poor little girl with the single dad. Isn't that right? But you _knew_."

The young woman gritted her teeth as she held his gaze, feeling her fear growing as his tone changed. Just moments ago, in Eri's room, he had sounded apathetic. Like a lion regarding a mouse. Like he honestly could not care less about her. Now it was different. Chisaki spoke to her with a sinister, but knowing, edge to his voice, all with his mouth still hidden behind that mask.

_What does he think I know? How much does he think I know? _She was trembling. She knew she was trembling and she was trying so hard to stand still. Each time she heard Kurono say "Kai", she could hear it in his voice. There was a warning there directed at her as well as Chisaki. Kurono was trying to warn her not to move and trying to keep Chisaki from doing harm to her.

"You're powerful." Sayuri's voice came out just above a whisper as she slowly blinked up at him. "I'm right, aren't I? I can feel it. I've been able to feel it…since the day I met you. Your quirk-"

"My _disease_," he interrupted.

"It's powerful," she continued. "You could do a lot of damage, but you'd prefer it if I just cooperate. I'm right…aren't I? What do you need me to do?" Her pulse was pounding loudly in her own ears. Thankfully, Sayuri had enough experience talking to people to know exactly what to say.

_I have to let him think I'm on his side. Something in him…snapped today. Did it have something to do with that guy outside? Kurono called him "Rappa". I wasn't supposed to see him, was I? So now Chisaki's panicking. But he's trying to regain control of the situation. I don't know what kind of quirk he has. If I'm not careful…he might kill me._

She slowly lifted a hand, fingers flexing. Sayuri saw his eyes dart down to the movement and she paused briefly before continuing. As lightly as humanly possible, she set her fingertips against the scar on his left wrist from the wound she had taken from him.

"Don't touch me," he snarled, his fingertips pressing tighter against the sides of her face. His eyes narrowed down at her.

Her hand jolted away. "Your scar looked irritated. I was going to take away the redness and puffiness so it wouldn't bother you. I was trying to _help_ you." Sayuri saw Kurono approaching her right side from the edge of her vision. "Just tell me what you need from me. I'll do it."

Kurono quickened his pace when Chisaki's grip tightened and he saw the pale-haired teacher visibly tense against the pain. "_Kai_," he said for probably the fifth time. "You had a plan."

"I don't like to be played with." He glanced to Kurono as the man reached out toward them both. "And I don't like to be _lied_ to."

"She said that she's going to cooperate. And she meant it. Didn't you, Sayuri? Besides, doesn't this work better? Now there's no room for her to refuse, right?" Kurono's eyes met Sayuri's when she looked over at him and he tried to communicate it to her without outright saying it. If she rejected Chisaki, she would definitely die.

"I won't refuse," she agreed, looking back to Chisaki. Her stomach felt like it was turning as she saw hives forming around the collar of his shirt. "I promise. I won't refuse. Whatever it is, I'll do it. I know how…powerful you are. So I know it's in my best interest to agree." Sayuri forced a smile, but her eyes were starting to tear up.

If this was how he treated her, an outsider, she was afraid of what he might do to Eri. How he might be treating Eri every time Sayuri left after tutoring. _I can't abandon her_, she thought as her tears began to overflow. _Eri. I can't leave her alone with him again. If I die, she'll have no one on her side._

Chisaki's glare hardened as her tears spilled, rolling over his fingers. He pushed his hands forward, threading into her snowy hair. There was a twitch beneath the black fabric of the mask over his nose and mouth. Shifting her hair brought the aroma of her lemon-scented shampoo and the cleaning-fluid like smell seemed to bring him some bizarre form of comfort.

"It's _Eri_, isn't it? You're keeping yourself alive for _her_. It's so easy to see through you. What else do you have to live for? No children of your own, no family, a thankless job teaching unappreciative, unwashed little brats. That filth you call your boyfriend…he won't even miss you, will he?"

She felt a tug at her hair and resisted the urge to punch him square in the face. Instead, her hands curled into fists at her sides as she trembled and looked up at him through her tears. "He'll forget about me quickly. I'm forgettable," she agreed without blinking. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that Eri's happy and safe. Whatever it takes."

"Give your phone to Kurono."

Sayuri reached into her pocket as a bitter taste rose to the back of her throat. She held out her phone for the pale-haired man to take and her stomach dropped as it was taken away. Her only lifeline to the outside world. Even if she screamed or tried to run, she had a bad feeling in her gut that her life would be cut short almost immediately.

"Kai, those hives are looking pretty bad," Kurono remarked, tucking Sayuri's phone into his pocket.

The words went ignored as Chisaki stared down her. Studying her again as he seemed to search her eyes for something more. It seemed like he found what he was looking for. His left hand drew out of her hair and his right hand moved to her cheek again. The skin on skin contact seeming to make his hives worse while also making her stomach churn.

"Good," he finally spoke. "You're going to cooperate now. Like a good girl. Aren't you? Because you know, don't you? You know the kind of power I have without me saying; I could destroy you. Every time I touch you, I'm taking your life into my hands. But you've always known that, haven't you? That's why you were always so tense when I got close to you. It's not just your maternal instincts that are good."

Sayuri's instincts were currently screaming at her to run, but she stayed rooted to the spot. "My maternal instincts?"

"That's right." He moved back, fingertips gliding over her tear-stained cheek. "I still haven't told you. You must be curious about your new purpose."

The way he worded it, combined with the way he was looking at her, made goose bumps rise on Sayuri's skin. She again had that urge to attack him. Punch, slap, kick. Anything to give her an edge to let her escape. Now she knew he had malevolent intentions. Now she knew just how dire Eri's situation was.

_But I'm outnumbered_, she thought as Kurono moved closer. _Even if I did attack Chisaki, then Kurono will come after me. He might've helped me a little, but he won't let me hurt his friend. Or boyfriend? Whatever their relationship is._

As Chisaki turned away from them, stalking back toward the house, he lifted his right hand to examine it. "Eri needs a maternal figure. Don't you think so, Sayuri? She needs a…_traditional_ upbringing. And what better maternal figure than someone who has played mother to dozens of children? That's what you do, isn't it? You're mother to every child in your class for eight hours a day. So why not take those hours of expertise and focus your attention on one child?"

"What are you saying? I don't understand." She pushed herself now. Forcing down her fear. Making herself be brave for Eri. As she came up beside him, Sayuri saw that he was staring down at a few stray, pale hairs wrapped around his fingers. Her hair, winding between his digits and catching the sunlight to appear almost silvery against his skin.

His hand curled into a fist and he shifted his gaze to the young woman. "As of today, you don't work for that school. You don't live in that shabby, dirty apartment. As of today, you're going to be Eri's maternal figure. You'll live here unless I decide otherwise. Your purpose is to take care of Eri from this point on."

Sayuri's blood ran cold at his words and she attempted a half-smile, but failed. "But the school is going to notice when I don't show up for work. And my boyfriend-"

Chisaki made a dismissive gesture with his left hand. "Kurono is going to take care of those details. The only thing that you need to worry about is taking care of Eri. Continue teaching her as you were, but now your responsibilities extend to before and after lessons. I know that you're a smart girl, Sayuri. You don't need me to tell you step by step what needs to be done to take care of a child."

"I understand." Sayuri felt a surge of fear when he said her name. When he called her "Naosu", it was far less threatening. She slowed her pace as he went into the house and she looked over her shoulder at Kurono. The pale-haired man was typing something on her phone with a blank expression on his face.

He glanced up before finishing whatever he was writing and shoving her phone into his pocket. Kurono strode toward her at a brisk pace and pressed a hand against her lower back to give her a push toward the door. The man got close to her side before murmuring, "If you know what's good for you, don't test him. Kai won't let you get away with much, got it?"

_Dabi's not going to just let this happen_, she thought as she walked beside Kurono. _He gets upset if I'm just late getting home. If I don't come home tonight, he'll look for me. It doesn't matter what Kurono sent; Dabi and Fuyumi will both know that something's wrong. They'll tell the police and someone will save me and Eri. This can't last for that long…right?_

**Shift P.O.V**

He skimmed the message and raised an eyebrow. _A break up, huh? And I've got twenty-four hours to clear out? That's bullshit._ Dabi stretched his arms over his head, letting his shoulders pop and releasing a quiet groan of pleasure. He pushed himself to finally get out of bed and looked for some clean clothes.

_Stupid, half-assed excuse. If she really has a problem with me, she could at least say it to my face. And who breaks up with someone the day after they almost break the bed?_ He smirked and left her room; now dressed and going over to throw some food to the rats.

Dabi sat in front of the cage as he typed a response to the suspicious message, listening to the rats nibble at their food. He asked what made her decide to break up and where she was, but he already knew the truth. Looking down at the rats, he frowned and ran a hand through his messy black hair. "Shirayuki, right? Shirayuki and Kamishiro. Those are your names. You know what she's like."

Sayuri said she was going to go to her tutoring session, but Dabi knew she was probably at the Todoroki house. Sitting there with Fuyumi and Natsuo. Whatever made her suddenly think she wanted to break up, she was probably telling them about it. Her friends.

He stepped outside, feeling his anger and jealousy starting to bubble up. She likes hanging out with them so much. _I wonder what she'd think if I told her the truth. How would she feel about them if she knew? They're just carrying on like I never existed. If I burned that shit hole to the ground, they'd have to acknowledge me. They'd have to tell her everything and what would she think about them?_

Dabi took his time in journeying to the neighborhood where the Todoroki house was located. Checking his phone, waiting for her response. It never came. In his anger, he released a burst of bright blue flames deep within an alley. Watching them engulf an unfortunate idiot that happened to be just a little too close to escape.

Watching the man struggle, listening to him scream, Dabi grinned. _A breakup, huh? We'll see about that._


	31. Chapter 31

NeonHorizon: Special birthday shout out to a special reader :) I hope they had a good birthday!

* * *

Sayuri tried to put on a brave façade before she started back toward Eri's room. She wiped away her tears in the hallway and gritted her teeth. _I can't let her see that I'm afraid. If I'm afraid, then how can I protect her? I need to just stay calm. For now, all I can do is try to reassure Eri that everything is okay._

She felt Kurono's hand on her lower back; silently urging her to go into the room. Sayuri only complied when she looked in and saw Eri sitting at the table with Chisaki standing behind her. One gloved hand rested on the back of the little girl's chair. When he lifted his eyes from Eri's workbook, they narrowed on her.

"Sayuri. Why don't you tell Eri the good news?"

The teacher felt a tightness forming in her chest and she managed to tear her gaze away from Chisaki. Looking down at Eri, she could see the growing fear in the girl's eyes. She let her instincts guide her and crossed the room to kneel down next to Eri's chair, putting on the most reassuring smile she could manage.

"You know how I always have to leave after your lessons? Well, starting today, I'm not doing that anymore." Sayuri was somehow able to keep her hands steady as she reached out and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind Eri's ear. "Isn't that great? I'll be here all day, from now on."

"All…day?" Eri's eyes shimmered as they filled with tears. "Sayuri?"

_I have to do something to cheer her up._ She leaned in and wiped at the girl's tears before they could fall. "Why don't we take a break from the workbook and have snack time? I brought something special."

Eri glanced toward Chisaki and then back to Sayuri, giving her a small nod. She let the teacher take her hand and walked close beside her down to the kitchen. Footsteps were close behind them and the child lowered her head to try to hide her tears. "I'm…sorry, Sayuri."

"Hey, now. What do you have to be sorry about, Eri-chan? No tears, okay? I'm here because I want to be." She tried to sound convincing. She tried to sound brave and sure of herself, but she was absolutely terrified. "It's going to be fun, right? Now I can always be here for you. I promise. I won't leave you alone again." She felt Eri squeeze her hand slightly and she had to fight back her own tears.

_I'll protect you. No matter what. I'm going to do for you what my own parents never did for me. I won't abandon you. I won't let you feel unloved._ She paused in her steps and a real smile grew on her face as she turned to Eri. "Do you want me to carry you? I can carry you on my back. My parents used to carry me that way when I was little."

She did her best to try to act like everything was fine. Tried to keep Eri in good spirits. Tried to ignore the way that Chisaki followed her around the kitchen with that intense golden stare. Every time she so much as glanced at him, Sayuri could feel a chill run down her spine. Goose bumps rose on her skin and seemed to linger through snack time, the rest of the lessons, and dinner.

As the night wore on, she hoped that someone would see whatever message Kurono had sent out and realize that she was not the one who wrote them. _Dabi and Fuyumi know me well enough to know how I talk. Kurono isn't me. There have to be differences in how we write messages. Someone has to notice._

"It's getting late. What's Eri-chan's bedtime?" She finally forced herself to look at Chisaki directly. Her stomach churned as she wondered what exactly night would bring for her.

He had been standing against the wall behind Eri, watching their interaction. Looking down at the teacher now, he nodded to himself. "Now is close enough. Eri. Bedtime."

Sayuri tidied up the little table in Eri's room; gathering the art supplies and workbook together into a neat stack. She looked to Chisaki, pushing herself to be brave and stand up for herself. Not enough to make him angry, but enough to convince him of how seriously she was taking this new role. "I'm going to tuck her in," Sayuri started. "Where am I sleeping? Is there a spare futon-?"

"I had a room prepared for you. Come out to the hall when you're done here." He slipped out into the dim hallway, Kurono following him.

She watched them for a moment before turning her attention back to Eri. Again, trying to smile. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Eri clung to the sleeve of her shirt, her large red eyes shining with fresh tears. "Sayuri…I'm sorry. Please don't go."

"Hey, it's going to be alright." Sayuri led her over to her little bed and waited for her to settle beneath the blanket, but the girl refused to let go of her sleeve. "Eri-chan, I'm only going to be gone overnight. But when you wake up, I'm still going to be here. I know! I'll make something special for breakfast."

"…breakfast…?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow is Thursday, right? When I was your age, my mom used to make something special for breakfast. I'll make that for you tomorrow, okay? I promise. I can't really cook much, but even I can make something like this." She half-grinned and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "Have sweet dreams, okay? And you can tell me about them in the morning."

Her pulse was racingas she crossed the room to the door. She was still unsure of what exactly Chisaki was doing, but Eri seemed even more afraid of him than usual. _What's going to happen to me? If no one realizes that I didn't send those messages…? He can't keep me here forever, right?!_

Kurono was waiting for her in the hallway, but Chisaki had vanished. The pale-haired man pulled Eri's door closed and it clicked locked. "Follow me. Kai had some business to take care of."

She walked behind him, watching closely. Even if he had attempted to keep Chisaki calm and stop him from outright killing her, he was still loyal to the other man. Of course, it would be in her best interest to stay on his good side and try to make herself likeable. "Kurono-san. Thank you for earlier."

He paused in his steps and looked back at her over his shoulder. His normally expressionless face took on the faintest hint of a smirk. "It would be a waste to let you go," he pointed out. "You're a good addition. Before you, we only had two healers; Kai and Eri. But Eri's not so great with her quirk."

_Healing quirks? Wait. Why is he telling me this? Only two healers? So there are more people involved in whatever this is. Like that "Rappa" person that I saw when I got here. But if he's telling me things like this, then Chisaki really doesn't plan to let me go. Kurono is telling me because he knows that I'm not getting out of here alive._

There was an unsettling slyness to Kurono's expression as he started walking again, now with her next to him. "This is your room," he said, nodding to a door they were approaching. "Kai had this set up just for you. Make sure to show some appreciation tomorrow."

Sayuri looked down at the number pad next to the door. Kurono punched in some numbers, but seemed to not care that she was watching. The door was pushed open and revealed something pretty different from what she was expecting.

She had expected a prison cell, more or less. This room was actually very nice. There was a comfortable-looking bed, a shelf with a big variety of books, a desk, a low table with an electric kettle and a box of various teas, a dresser, and an open door that led to a small bathroom. The furnishings were better quality than her own belongings at home.

There was a window, but there were thick metal bars covering it. It just provided faint light from the streetlights outside. _I can't get through those bars, but if I could call for help…_She bit the inside of her cheek, knowing it would be a bad choice. _If I call for help and someone in this house hears me, Chisaki will kill me. And then I can't protect Eri._

She surveyed the room again and settled on something she had missed earlier. Sitting on top of the desk were some crafting supplies and recipe books. Sayuri raised an eyebrow as Kurono walked over.

"I picked these up," he informed her. "You like to make those snacks with Eri. These might give you more ideas. I don't think Kai liked the cookie decorating today." There was a very slight hint of humor in his voice. So slight it was almost undetectable. "The bathroom's stocked and there are clean clothes in the dresser. Don't complain about what's in there."

Sayuri gave him a half-smile, still doing her best to try to keep on his good side. _I know I can't win him over. He's too loyal to Chisaki. But if I can at least keep him convinced that I need to stay alive, that should help me survive this._ She picked up a recipe book and flipped through it absently. "I won't complain. And this was really thoughtful. Thank you, Kurono-san."

He seemed vaguely pleased and nodded. "The door doesn't unlock from the inside. I'll come to get you in the morning." Kurono walked to the door and his expression fell to his natural frown. "Don't do anything stupid. Just do what he says and you'll live longer, got it? Oh. And I almost forgot."

Her heart skipped when he drew her cellphone out of his pocket. _Is he going to smash it? Is he going to give it back? He…almost seems like he wants me to live._

"Your boyfriend's been blowing up your inbox and voicemail." His pale eyes flicked from the screen back to her lilac stare. "He might need some more convincing. So what I want you to do is think about what I can tell him to get him off your trail. He's being persistent. Kai won't like it if he starts snooping around, you know?"

"Right…right, I'll think of something." She felt a lump forming in her throat. Hope tugging at her heart. Whatever Kurono had said to Dabi using her phone, Dabi seemed to not believe it.

The door was closed and locked. Sayuri walked a few circuits around the bedroom and bathroom, glancing around for possible cameras. When she fell onto the bed, she rubbed at her face with both hands and finally let her tears flow freely. _Dabi knows me. He knows me almost as well as Fuyumi so he has to know that something isn't right. But if he comes here…Chisaki is going to kill him. What am I going to do? I have to come up with a plan._

**Shift P.O.V**

He stayed in the neighborhood for hours. Watching the Todoroki house. Waiting for Sayuri to come out. All while trying to call her and send her messages. Anything to get an explanation for this sudden breakup and demand for him to move out. It made absolutely zero sense.

When Endeavor arrived home and there was no sign of Sayuri fleeing the house like it was on fire, Dabi finally had to come to terms with the fact that she was probably not there. _I know how much that fake scares her. But if she's not with Fuyumi, then where is she?_

Walking down the street at night, he scrolled through the messages he had sent her. Over twenty of them, but no replies. Yet it showed that she was reading them. His hand tightened on his phone as he slipped into an alley and leaned against the wall, releasing a sound of frustration. A cross between a growl and a sigh as he tried to think of where else she could be.

Sayuri would never go to her parents' house; he knew they had broken contact with her years ago._ She doesn't seem that close with those other teachers, either. So where'd she disappear to? Maybe her aunt's place? She said she hadn't talked to her in years. I don't think she'd go there._

He started moving again. Stalking along the wall, staying in the shadows since he was still in the Todorokis' neighborhood. Dabi paused at the end of this alley and looked over his shoulder. There was a man standing at the opening of the alley; head down, hands in his pockets. He looked like he had been about to enter, but stopped when Dabi looked back.

"What do you want? I'm not in the mood to play around," he spoke, pushing his phone into his pocket. _Doesn't look familiar. Does he think he can rob me or something? He's got a bad surprise coming if he thinks he can just-!_

The man rushed forward, pulling a knife out of his pocket as he got close. Dabi gripped his shoulder with his right hand and shoved his open left hand against the man's stomach, releasing a blast of blue fire that quickly spread over his assailant. Screaming in agony as flames engulfed his clothes, struggling to get them off before he was burned alive.

_Too slow._ Dabi watched him collapse as shock set in and he pressed a boot against the man's lower back. "Hey. You dead already? I've got some questions for you. Move if you can hear me." He saw the man's fingers twitch and he smirked. "What were you gonna do with that knife? Were you gonna stab me and take my money? That's…really pathetic."

"I didn't come here to take your money," the man blurted out. "I came here to kill you!"

"Weak. You gave that up way too easily. Whoever hired you to do that must've thought it would be funny. Too bad I'm not in a laughing mood, huh?" He grinded the sole of his boot against the man's back; pressing at the burned flesh beneath his cheap, singed jacket. "So who sent you?"

"I'm not gonna tell you! You're a dead man! Even if I don't get you, someone else will! You'll see!"

"That's what you think?" Dabi lifted his boot and then stomped down, making the man cry out in pain. He leaned down, pressing his elbow onto his knee to put more pressure on his assailant. "You're gonna tell me. One way or another."


	32. Chapter 32

NeonHorizon: A quick warning. Dabi does something kind of dark around the first part of the chapter. So if violence makes you uncomfy, skip his part.

* * *

Dabi typed a message to Sayuri as he trudged down the alley. The only light in the dark passageway was from the screen of his phone, held in his left hand. His right hand gripped the back of his assailant's shirt. The stranger was badly burned and beaten. Barely alive at this point, but Dabi had at least managed to get a little information out of him before he went unresponsive.

His message to Sayuri was something simple. A question about the names of her pet rats. Something that she would obviously know. _Shirayuki and Kamishiro_, he remembered as he licked his lips. _Come on. Say it._

When the answer came, he read it a few times over. _"Call them whatever you want. Take them with you." Are you serious? She'd…never let someone else take care of those two._ Dabi reached the edge of the darkness and stopped before he could step into the light pouring in from a nearby streetlight. He released the man's shirt collar, but stepped down on the man's broken leg to keep him from getting away.

"Who's got her phone?" He glared down at the man, who released a sharp wheezing sound in response. "Come on. You think keeping quiet is gonna save you? Is it that bastard with the white hair? He's the one that wanted her, right?"

Truthfully, the man was as good as dead. Broken bones, covered in bruises and burns. Barely even able to stay conscious. He probably wished he was dead at this point, but Dabi was keeping him alive to try to get some more information. They both knew there was no way he was getting out of this alive; the best he could hope for was a quick death.

He saw the man's lips move, but only a raspy wheezing noise came out. What Dabi had managed to glean from this would-be assassin, was that he had been hired by someone to get rid of him. Someone that wanted Sayuri. Thankfully, that narrowed it down pretty well since she only seemed to interact with a few people other than Dabi.

It should have been his first guess when he got the break up message from her phone, but he had been blinded by his jealousy and anger. He honestly thought she had broken up with him so of course he figured she had gone to the Todoroki house or somewhere else. It would have been weird for her to actually go to the place she said she was going if she wanted to avoid him.

_That guy doesn't know that I know where she went. Stupid._ Dabi looked up from his phone screen and then glared down at the man on the ground. "So what am I gonna do with you? I got everything I can out of you so you're pretty much useless." His lips pulled into a grin and he leaned down. Sharp turquoise eyes focused on the man's look of terror. "Hope you didn't want a burial; the best I can do is a cremation."

Dabi gripped the back of the man's head and slammed it against the ground as he released bright blue flames from his hand. The pungent smell of burning flesh and hair filled the air around him. Smoke and ashes. Guttural cries of agony. His grin spread and he felt a staple at the corner of his lips tear his skin. Drops of blood splattered the burning corpse before he stepped back.

Wiping his mouth on the back of his hand, he continued to grin. _Started to go crazy for a second there. I have to keep it together. _His fingertips got wet as he rubbed at the tear in his skin, smearing blood. _Which way was that house?_

He set off using the back alleys to keep people from spotting him. Stalking like a predator hunting for prey. Hands in his pockets and licking blood from the corner of his mouth. He could already imagine what Sayuri would say about his appearance right now and it made him snicker.

She would chastise him for being covered in ashes and smelling like burnt meat. She would probably get mad at him for tearing the corner of his mouth and she would want to take his injury for him. Of course, this was a wound he would never let her have. In the past, he might not have cared about letting someone else tear their face for him, but this was different.

Sayuri was his light. She was his healer. His only source of comfort and normalcy. Something he had to protect. Something he was not going to let someone else take from him. She had taken care of him over the past months without complaint and now it was his turn. Not that he had zero expectations of her repaying him in the future.

It took a while for him to retrace his steps, but he found it. The big, fancy house that Sayuri had disappeared into with that pale-haired man. There was a wall around the perimeter and the gate was locked, but Dabi remembered it. The place was traditional style, kind of like the Todoroki house, but there was something "off" about the place.

_How am I supposed to get in?_ Slinking along the shadows, wary of security cameras, Dabi realized how high the walls were. Not exactly something he could just hop over. Even if he did get inside, he needed to be sure of where Sayuri was. Going in and just burning the place to the ground was what he really wanted to do, but he wanted to keep her alive.

Running his fingers through his dark hair, he released an irritated sigh. _I guess I should get the kid, too. That's what Sayuri would want me to do. Great. Didn't really want to raise some other guy's kid, but she's not going to give me a choice. If I want to keep her, I'll have to save that kid._ He heard footsteps in the distance and moved along, listening intently.

A group of four guys were returning to the house. Judging by what they were saying, it sounded like they had been searching for him and come up empty-handed. As it dawned on them that someone was missing from their group, Dabi slipped into an alley across the street and tried calling Sayuri's phone again.

**Shift P.O.V**

When she first woke up, it took a moment for her brain to register where she was. Sayuri was so used to waking up next to Dabi in her bed and spending a while just basking in the warmth radiating off of him before she rushed to get ready for work. This was the first time in months that she was waking up alone and she felt instant loneliness.

She went over to the window and peered outside. The sun was already up. Usually at this time of day, she would be starting class. Shaking her head, Sayuri turned away from the window. _I can't focus on stuff like that right now. I have to keep myself from getting depressed. I have to think about what I can do here._

Looking around the room, her gaze settled on the dresser and she nodded to herself. _A schedule. Start with something simple to focus on and it will keep me sharp. Right? So where do I start? Getting ready for the day, like it's any other day. Like I'm not being held here against my will by a sociopath._

Sayuri ran a bath and reluctantly picked out some clothes from the selection in the dresser. It was obvious that whoever bought the clothes had a certain aesthetic in mind that was not hers. She bathed and brushed her teeth, but hesitated to put on the new clothes. Something about putting on clothing that someone else had picked for her felt unsettling. Like she was a doll that was being dressed up, even though she was dressing herself.

Her heart raced as she heard the bedroom door click unlocked and open before closing again. The young woman's stomach churned as she looked toward the closed bathroom door. There was no lock on this one. Sayuri's eyes widened when she heard footsteps approach the door, but then retreat. However, her bedroom door did not open again.

With trembling hands, she got dressed. Putting on her old, dirty clothes would make Chisaki angry and all it took was the memory of his hand on her cheek to make her bite back fearful nausea. The white knee-length dress and the soft pink cardigan made her look more like a teacher while simultaneously making her look like someone that was wearing a costume. Uncomfortable in the comfortable fabrics as she felt like she was being forced.

Sayuri took a deep breath and opened the door. Expecting to find Chisaki waiting there, but instead seeing Kurono. Sitting at the table with a tray of what seemed to be an attempt at breakfast and flipping through one of the recipe books. "Where's Chisaki? And Eri? I need to see Eri."

Kurono glanced her way briefly. "Eri's having treatment right now," he started explaining without emotion. "Kai told me to keep you company until she's done. I brought you some food. I figured you'd be hungry."

She was hesitant to eat anything. Sayuri had been on high alert before when Chisaki had tried to offer her food, but now she was almost positive that he would drug her if he felt like it. Approaching the table slowly, she sat across from Kurono and frowned. "Eri's having treatment? What does that mean?"

He closed the book and stared at her for a moment. Cold gray eyes looking her up and down before lowering to the plate of toast. "She gets treatment every other day. She'll be done around noon. Eat something."

"I'm not hungry." She saw him raise an eyebrow. "But thank you. I appreciate this; I'm just kind of nervous," she murmured, hoping to stay on his good side. Sayuri saw him nod before he took the top piece of toast and start eating. _It might be fine, but I'm still not going to eat anything that I don't make myself._

The pale-haired man made unsettling eye contact with her as he chewed. When he finally finished, he moved around to her side of the table and gripped her chin in his hand. Leaning down, his eyebrows furrowed. Kurono released her without a word and dug in his pocket for something.

"Kurono-san?" Sayuri's pulse was beating rapidly and she started to form a plan in case he was about to pull out a weapon. If she leaned back, she could avoid being cut, but that would only work if he had a knife and then she still had to worry about escaping. Never mind if he had a gun; at this close range she had no chance.

He produced a small makeup compact and opened it. "Kai won't want to see that mark on your neck. Hold still."

"Oh. Right. Th-thank you." She sat unmoving as Kurono covered Dabi's mark. Wondering if there was any chance of actually winning him over. _It seems like he doesn't want Chisaki to kill me. But he's definitely on Chisaki's side. Is there any way I could get him to like me enough to help me escape?_

The young woman waited until he had closed the compact before she spoke again. "So…Eri's treatment. Is she sick?"

The man's naturally narrow eyes narrowed a bit more and he smirked. "If you ask Kai, we're all sick. But some of us can cure it."

She remembered what he had said about Chisaki and Eri being healers. The thought of Chisaki in a healer role was unsettling, to say the least. Just having him in the same room as her was enough to give her goose bumps. The idea of being sick and looking to that man for comfort and healing made her uneasy. "I see."

"No. But you will." A hand reached out and smoothed her hair away from her face. A simple gesture, but when paired with the impassive way he was looking at her, it seemed almost menacing. A cold smirk lifted the corner of his lips as he seemed to sense her unease and he leaned toward her. "Just be a good girl and nothing bad will happen to you, got it? You want to get along with Kai. Trust me."

"I do…for Eri's sake," she replied. Sayuri knew what to say. Agree too eagerly and he would be suspicious. Her answer had truth behind it and she could tell right away that he was pleased.

"Want to tell me about your boyfriend? Oh, sorry." His smirk fell as he pulled her phone out of his pocket. "Your _ex_-boyfriend. He's just not giving up. I even sent some guys to try to get rid of him, but now we're missing someone. Why don't you tell me about him since we've got some time to kill?"

Sayuri's eyes widened and she felt a tightness forming in her chest. _Dabi! No! Why?! Is he alright? _The memory of when she first met him, of when she found him half-dead in the snow, flashed vividly in her mind and she felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "I…honestly don't know that much about him," she answered truthfully. "I only know his name and his quirk; cremation."

Kurono's eyebrows furrowed. "What kind of relationship is that? How long were you together? You barely even knew him."

_He's right. But I guess it's for the best. The less I know about Dabi, the less they can use against him._ Still, it made her chest hurt to realize how little he told her about himself. Even after everything she had confessed to him.

She eventually gave in to her hunger and quietly ate while glancing over at Kurono. He was engrossed in the recipe book again; flipping through the pages until he appeared to have found something he was interested in. The pale-haired man was sitting next to her at this point and pushed the book toward her while telling her what she should make for dinner.

It almost felt alright. If not for the bars on the window and the knowledge that her life was in danger, Sayuri might have been able to convince herself that she was just having a normal conversation with Kurono. The second that the bedroom door opened, she tensed and lifted her lilac eyes to meet golden ones.

Chisaki wordlessly entered the room. Eyes lowering from her face as he approached. He walked around the table once, looking from every angle, before he stopped behind her. A gloved hand went beneath her chin and tipped her head back so she was forced to look up at him. "I'm glad to see that you've decided to cooperate and accept your new role."


	33. Chapter 33

NeonHorizon: This story was supposed to coincide with my stories Quiet Outburst and Say it Twice. But I might only let it coincide with Quiet Outburst because otherwise Dabi will be doing something that everyone is going to hate.

* * *

_What did he do to her? _Sayuri's heart dropped as Eri's door was opened for her. As soon as Kurono moved aside, she wanted to run to the little girl and comfort her. She wanted to pick her up and bolt out of the house, but she knew better. Her captors would catch her before she was able to even leave the room and then Eri would be left alone again.

Fighting the urge to hurry in, she examined the child from a distance. Eri was sitting curled up on her bed, facing the wall away from them. Her head down and a quiet whimper escaping her as the door opened wider. When she finally looked over her shoulder, the girl's large red eyes instantly began to tear up.

"Can I…?" Sayuri glanced toward Chisaki, who hesitated before giving her a nod of approval. Seeming pleased that she had waited for his permission. She crossed the room at a brisk pace and wrapped her arms around Eri as the little girl began to cry.

"You're…still here." It came out as just above a whisper as Eri clung to her.

Instead of relief, Sayuri heard sadness in her voice. Fear, worry. Like she had hoped it was just a dream that Sayuri was going to stay there from now on. She leaned back a little to brush Eri's hair away from her face and it felt like there were knives jabbing into her heart.

She was used to seeing Eri in dresses. Stuff that was obviously picked out by someone other than her, but normal enough. At this moment, she was wearing a long, faded thing that looked like a hospital gown almost. She was barefoot and there were bandages wrapped around her forearms and the lower half of her legs.

"Of course she's still here." Quiet footsteps approached the bed and a gloved hand rested on Sayuri's head, sending a chill down her spine. "She isn't like your real mother. She's not going to abandon you. Isn't that right, Sayuri?"

Hugging the girl a little closer, she could feel the rapid beating of the child's heart as fear sank in. _I'm in danger_, she thought as she felt that gloved hand stroke her head like she was a pet._ Eri knows it and she wanted me to get away. She knows that he could kill me._

Fighting back her own unease, she smiled down at Eri. "That's right. I'm not going anywhere, Eri-chan." She felt Chisaki's hand lift and she tried to maintain her smile. Anything to reassure Eri that everything would be alright. It just hurt too much to see her this way.

"Is it okay if I get lunch started?" Sayuri, still holding Eri, looked up towards her captor. Every muscle tensing as she saw a twitch behind the black mask that covered his mouth and nose. She watched his eyes narrow for a moment before relaxing.

"Eri. Get dressed for lunch. Sayuri will come with us."

_He doesn't want to let me out of his sight._ She reluctantly drew away from Eri and followed the two men into the hallway. Sayuri watched the door close and lowered her head. Feeling sick at the thought of looking at Chisaki. Whatever he had done to Eri, he seemed to be indifferent to it.

She silently stood beside Kurono, who was asking Chisaki something about progress on some sort of serum. It was confusing and it was clear that neither of them intended to include her in the conversation. She felt goose bumps rising on her skin when someone's gaze fixed on her. Standing perfectly still, she bit the inside of her cheek when a gloved hand reached over to smooth a wrinkle on her cardigan.

"She cleans up nice. Don't you think so, Kai?"

There was a pause. A finger went beneath her chin to lift her face. Narrowed golden eyes stared down into her half-closed lilac ones; studying her for a moment before he seemed content. "She looks acceptable. And when she's next to Eri, she looks close enough to be her mother."

"You think the boss would approve of her?"

_Boss?_ Sayuri felt a clenching in the pit of her stomach when she heard Kurono say this. She managed to keep herself from acknowledging it and instead bit her lower lip. Putting on the appearance that she was flustered by Chisaki's attention being on her.

"I think so." He moved his hand away, but stayed where he was standing. Leaving about a foot of space between them and quietly scrutinizing the young woman. "You want to know about Eri's wounds, don't you?"

She nodded once. "I can heal her, if you want-"

"Her injuries are deep. They'll put a strain on your…_disease_…if you take them. You'd be more than happy to do that, though, wouldn't you? Everything you're doing, you're doing for her. You said it yourself. You want her to be happy and safe, don't you?" When all he got was a small nod, he stepped closer and gloved fingers tangled in her pale hair. Forcing her head back as his eyes narrowed again. "You'd do _anything_ to protect her, wouldn't you? Your own life doesn't matter now."

"Kai," Kurono spoke up, stepping closer to them.

"I just…want to make sure she's alright," she agreed with him. Sayuri curled her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms, and resisted the urge to grab his wrist. Even when she could feel a few strands of hair being pulled from her scalp.

His expression began to relax when he heard her answer and saw the sincerity in her face. Chisaki untangled his hand from her hair and stepped back to lean against the wall behind him. Acting as if the outburst had never happened. "You're such a _good mother_, aren't you?"

Sayuri lowered her head. "I want to do a better job than _my_ mother did," she answered truthfully. "My parents loved me until I went against what they wanted and then they abandoned me. I don't want Eri to feel the way I did when that happened."

"That's pretty rough," the pale-haired man beside her commented. He looked to Chisaki, as if trying to see if he agreed.

The other man tugged at his gloves, his eyes fixed on the two standing across from him. "Then you should forget about your previous life and focus on her. Taking care of Eri is your only reason to exist now."

When Eri emerged from her room, wearing one of the normal dresses that Sayuri was used to seeing her in, she was carried to the kitchen by Kurono. Sayuri walked beside him and behind Chisaki. Keeping her eyes on the brown-haired man and wary of each time he looked back at her.

_I need to know what he did to Eri. I need to know what's going on. Kurono mentioned their boss. What did he mean? I know he only let it slip because he's so sure I won't be leaving this place alive. Can I try to get more information out of him?_

Sayuri cooked a meal for four, to the best of her ability. Eri and Kurono ate the food. The pale-haired man seemed pleased with it since it was the meal he had suggested to her earlier that day. As always, Chisaki sat at the table with them, but he refused to eat. She could feel him watching her as she ate her food and it made her sit so tensely that her muscles quickly started to hurt.

The young woman was glad her cooking had improved since that day she accidentally gave Dabi food poisoning. As she looked down at her plate, she felt her heart sinking a little. Thinking about Dabi and wondering what he was doing.

_Chisaki sent someone after him_, she thought with cold dread. Lifting her eyes to meet the ones of her captor, who was sitting in the chair to her left. _Dabi's okay though, right? He has to be. His quirk is good for defending himself; not like mine. But…is he going to try to save me? Is he going to tell the police?_

Her eyes shifted from the man next to her and settled on Eri, who was across the table from her. For a while, the girl had cheered up. When Sayuri cooked and had Eri help her, it felt like every other time she had showed her how to make their snacks. Giving the woman a moment of happiness, of feeling like everything was alright. Giving the child a moment of relief from the worry as she focused on the cute shapes that Sayuri was cutting the vegetables into.

After lunch, Sayuri walked back to Eri's room with the other two adults. Carrying Eri and trying not to think about how close Kurono was to her side. As she lowered the child to her chair at the little table, she put on a smile and went to get her workbooks and materials.

Her thoughts flitted to Dabi again while Eri worked. Somehow, picturing him lounging on the couch in her apartment like he usually did brought her a sense of comfort. Remembering how he would smirk and hook a finger into a belt loop on her pants to pull her down to him. The feeling of his fingers running through her hair as their lips met. Thinking about Dabi made her feel more relaxed and she hoped he was safe.

Kurono stayed in the room, but Chisaki left for a while without a word about where he was going. The afternoon wore on and Sayuri felt dread settling heavily into her stomach at the thought of having to leave Eri's side. A look down at Eri's bandaged arms made her smile fall and she wordlessly wrapped her arms around the girl in a hug.

"Sayuri…?" Eri looked up at her with more worry than Sayuri had ever seen on a child's face before. "Are you…okay?"

She blinked and realized that she actually had tears in her eyes. Smiling, she nodded and wiped at her eyes. "I'm fine. Sorry, Eri-chan. I was just thinking about when I was a little kid. I got hurt a lot, too, you know? I'd take my friends injuries for them all the time so I always had some scrapes and bruises."

"Oh. Those hurt. Were you okay?" The girl tilted her head.

"I was fine! I got used to it after a while. But you…" Sayuri took both of Eri's little hands into hers. "You got hurt today, right? I'm going to make it better. Just close your eyes, okay?"

The pain was intense. Making her see spots as tears freely flowed down her cheeks. Slices opening along her forearms. Flesh being gouged out. She had to bite her lower lip to keep herself from screaming in agony as she felt consciousness try to slip out of her grasp.

The same sensation began in the lower half of her legs. Deep, searing. It built up until her eyelids fluttered, her heart beating out of control. The pain abruptly began to dull and then there was an odd feeling. Tingling and then nothing; as if the injuries never happened.

Sayuri was unaware that she had been sobbing until she felt a hand grip her shoulder tightly and pull her back from Eri. She stared at the child with wide, watery lilac eyes. Snowy locks of hair fell forward over her face as she trembled and lifted a hand to run along her forearm. Afraid to look down. _What happened? What did he do to you?! What did Chisaki do to you, Eri?_

A sick, sour sort of feeling settled in her gut as Sayuri saw Kurono's face come close to hers. Fingers gripping her chin and forcing her to turn her head to look up at him. Those pale, cold eyes narrowed as he examined her.

His free hand went to her wrist and lifted it, letting her sleeve slide back. Revealing to them both that her forearm was now covered in thick, fresh scars. His thumb skimmed over one near her wrist and Kurono appeared smug. Pleased. "You took the wounds _and_ the restoration."

"Wh-what _is_ this? What happened?" she blurted out. Unable to contain her panic at the thought of Eri enduring everything she had just felt. A look toward the child showed her slouching in her seat with her hair falling forward around her face, trying not to let Sayuri see her cry.

He lifted his eyes from her wrist to lock onto hers when she looked at him again. "Might want to calm down before Kai comes back," Kurono warned, rubbing his thumb over the scar closest to her wrist. "You wouldn't want to ask too many questions. You _understand_?" His grip tightened; not so much in a threatening way, but a warning way.

She nodded, still tearful and her face burning with shame. Terrified by the way he was looking at her. Sayuri gently pulled her arm away from him and pushed her sleeve down again. "I won't ask him, but is Eri-chan…?"

"She's fine." Kurono looked over at the girl and nodded toward Sayuri. "You're fine. Tell her you're fine."

Eri reached over and gripped Sayuri's sleeve, tears in her eyes. "I-I'm fine. It doesn't…hurt. I'm fine, Sayuri."

_You're not fine._ Now that she knew the sort of pain Eri was being subjected to, the young woman felt a tightening in her chest and throat. _You were dealing with this pain all by yourself. I won't make you do that anymore. I'm not going to abandon you, Eri. I'll stay alive no matter what it takes and I'm going to get us out of here._

Chisaki returned to find Sayuri kneeling on the floor beside Eri's chair; helping her solve some simple math problems. He looked to Kurono, who was standing against the wall near the table and watching the two pale-haired girls. "It's getting late. You should start making dinner. Afterwards, I think we should discuss your first day in your new role."

"Kai. She took Eri's cuts," Kurono spoke up. He nodded at the young woman to signal her to roll up her sleeve. "She even took the effects of your quirk."

_His quirk? That tingling feeling that made the cuts close?_ Sayuri saw the intense way that Chisaki was staring at her scars and shivered.


	34. Chapter 34

Sayuri rubbed at the thick, deep scars on her arms and frowned. It had been a little over a week since she was basically forced into captivity and she had taken it upon herself to use her quirk every time Eri had one of her "treatments" to take away the girl's scars. It was taking a toll on Sayuri's body and sanity, but it was all she could do to try to help for now.

_Why did I have to be born with such a useless quirk? If I had something stronger, I might actually have a chance at breaking us out of here. This just reminds me of when I was a kid. When I…had to take all of Shouto's injuries._

She shivered at the memory. Remembering how the boy's injuries seemed to increase over time; like Endeavor knew that Shouto would only endure them temporarily so he stopped holding back as much. Dabi had stopped contacting her phone, or so Kurono had told her. It was beginning to feel like her hope for a rescue was fading away.

Lilac eyes shifted from Eri, who was working on some math problems in her workbook. Meeting a pair of cold gray eyes that stared intently back at her before Kurono raised an eyebrow. It was one of the few days that Chisaki had other business to attend to during the day so he had left Kurono to watch the woman and child. The atmosphere in the room was less tense than usual, but still unnerving.

"Need something?" he asked.

"Do you think we could go to the garden for her art lesson? I think it would be nice to get some fresh air." Sayuri tried to sound like the concerned teacher that she was, but at the same time she was desperate to get a bit of sanity by experiencing the outside world again.

"I don't know. I don't think Kai wants her going outside." He crossed the room from where he saw standing against the door and crouched down beside her. "You don't wanna test Kai. Okay?" Spoken in more of a warning tone than a threatening one.

"Right…I'm sorry. I should've remembered that." She placed a gentle hand on Eri's shoulder and smiled down at the girl reassuringly, but she could feel Kurono still looking at her. When she glanced over, she saw that he seemed pleased that she had accepted his answer. _Why does he keep doing that? He's so loyal to Chisaki, but he's always the one to stop Chisaki when it seems like he's about to lose his patience with me._

The two pale-haired adults left Eri's room when it got close to her bedtime so she could change into pajamas and waited in the hallway. Sayuri planned to tell her some bedtime stories to help her go to sleep and, so far, Chisaki had allowed this almost every night. It was just unsettling that he stayed in the room while she was telling the stories. Hovering nearby and occasionally resting a hand on the top of her head like she was a trained pet that was being rewarded.

A smug half-smile, holding no warmth to it whatsoever, met her gaze when she looked at Kurono. "What're you thinking, Sayuri?"

She hesitated to respond, but it was bothering her. "What…do you get out of this?" Catching the slight tilt of his head, she elaborated. "Every time it seems like Chisaki-san gets angry with me, you intervene. So. What are you getting out of keeping me alive? What's in it for you?"

Kurono's half-smile evolved into a smirk and he pushed off from the wall. Taking a step closer to her, hands pushed into the pockets of his long white coat. "I was starting to think you had a mind break or something," he commented, lifting a hand and tapping a fingertip to his right temple. "Actually kinda glad to see the old Sayuri in there."

The young woman's pulse quickened a little when he said this, but she maintained eye contact with him. Putting on a half-smile of her own. "So? What do you get out of keeping me alive? You're helping me for a reason, right, Kurono-san?"

"You want to know what I'm getting out of it? It's not complicated. Where do you want me to start? The first reason is pretty obvious, huh? You're cute and you're the only woman in the house. You've got a good quirk that's useful for Kai. And having a cute girl cook for me is a plus. But most importantly; I think you're good for Kai."

_Good for him?_ Ignoring the rest of what he had said, she fixated on the parts involving Chisaki and lowered her eyes. So far, she had only used her quirk to take Eri's scars after her "treatments". She worried what Chisaki might have planned for her quirk in the future. She could still remember encountering Rappa that same day that she first began living in this house.

"You think I'm good for Chisaki-san?" She heard him step closer and subconsciously held her breath as she waited for him to explain. When a hand planted against the wall beside her head, she winced.

"He doesn't like to get his hands dirty. But you're a hard worker, right, Sayuri? You wouldn't mind getting some blood under your nails. You wanna do everything you can to help Kai." Not a question, but a warning.

When she tried to move away from him along the wall, something sliced her cheekbone and she found her movement slowed considerably. As if she was moving in slow motion. Even lifting her eyes toward him was a struggle and her stomach clenched as a hand tauntingly cupped her cheek. That cold, cheerless smile directed at the young woman as the pale-haired man stared down at her. _What is this?! I can't get away from him! I…can barely even move!_

"You're pretty smart. You said it yourself; I'm part of why you're still alive. So maybe you ought to show me some more appreciation." A strand of his pale hair was drawing back from Sayuri's cheek so he could wipe at the blood where he cut her. "You don't wanna bite the hand that feeds you, Sayuri."

Her eyes widened little by little. Panic setting in as her brain screamed at her body to move, but it felt like she was frozen in place. After around a minute of him standing so close to her, just staring down into his eyes as she was unable to move, the young woman was finally able to jolt back tighter against the wall.

Eri's door opened and Kurono stepped back from Sayuri as if nothing had happened. The pale-haired woman warily slipped around him and into the girl's room to tell her bedtime stories. Trying to forget what he had said to her, what his quirk had done to her. Trying not to think about the fact that he could, at any time, do that again. It brought back that terrifying feeling of helplessness she had felt all those years ago when Endeavor had shoved her into that dark room and forced her to take Shouto's injuries.

"Are you…okay?" the child asked, noticing how uneasy Sayuri was.

She managed a shaky smile and smoothed Eri's hair away from her face. "I'm fine. I'm just a little sleepy. It's getting pretty late so it's almost my bedtime, too." Desperately trying to reassure the little girl that everything would be alright. She tried so hard to hide her fear, but it was difficult when her stomach was twisting with anxiety.

Sayuri hated to leave Eri alone. Every night, she felt guilt gnaw at her stomach when she had to go to her own room. Locked away and unable to comfort the girl. The only good thing about going to her room was that she could get away from Kurono and Chisaki for a while. It was the only time she could really go unmonitored and it was only because she was locked in from the outside.

She was fresh out of the bath, wearing a clean nightgown from her dresser and reading at her desk, when her bedroom door clicked unlocked. It opened slightly to first reveal Kurono and then Chisaki. Sayuri's heart sank with dread and she quickly closed the book. Lowering her eyes and hoping this would be something simple and quick.

"Kurono said you wanted to go outside earlier," Chisaki started. He stayed in the doorway and gave a beckoning nod when she lifted her eyes again. "Why don't you join me in the garden?"

The last time she had been in the garden, or outside at all, was the day he told her she was no longer allowed to leave. A sick feeling began in her stomach, but she knew better than to turn down the offer. "Thank you." She wasted no time in crossing her room to approach him and paused to bow. "I really appreciate this, Chisaki-san. I really do. It's been a while since I went outside. I miss seeing the spring flowers in bloom," she said with a small smile.

Behind his mask, his nose seemed to twitch and his gaze relaxed from its intense glare. He walked ahead of her down the hall toward the back of the house, his hands tugging at his gloves. "You've proven yourself obedient. You've done everything I've asked of you and even gone out of your way to impress me. Taking Eri's scars can't be easy on you. So you've earned this reward."

She felt Kurono's cold stare directed at her back. Chills ran along her spine and she quickened her pace so she came up beside Chisaki as he stepped outside. Smiling politely and clasping her hands behind her back. "I just want to be a good mother, Chisaki-san."

The man turned his head, looking down at her as there was a twitch behind the dark material of his mask. His left hand moved to pull the glove off of his right hand. Bare fingers threaded into her snowy hair and he leaned closer. Taking in the lemon scent of her shampoo and seeming to find comfort in its clean aroma.

"You don't want to leave anymore. That old life of yours doesn't matter. That dead-end job. That dingy apartment and those vermin you kept as pets. And that filth that you called your boyfriend. He was diseased. He was _dirty_." Chisaki's eyes narrowed as he noticed the cut on her cheekbone. "What happened here?"

She tried not to wince when his thumb traced over the stinging cut. Not even sure of what to tell him. "An accident. During craft time. I dropped some scissors and tried to catch them, but my hand slipped and…" Sayuri watched the hives starting to rise along his forearm. She, herself, had goose bumps rising all over her skin and she wanted to slap his hand away from her.

"I see." He sighed heavily and his eyebrows furrowed. "Accidents happen, don't they? I didn't take you to be so clumsy."

Sayuri's breath caught in her throat as she felt him rub along the cut again, his eyes focused intently on her. A familiar, weird feeling began in her cheek. Intense tingling and then nothingness. No longer stinging.

"There. I fixed you." His hand slipped beneath her chin and turned her face in the dim light. Studying her with a coldness as if she was the result of some experiment. "No more scars on your face; they're too hard to hide."

"Th-thank you," she forced out, hating that her voice trembled.

This pleased him. He released her chin and slipped his glove back on, speaking as he did. "I've given you more than that filth ever could have given you. A nice home, a child to raise, food, and everything that you could need. And I expect you to repay me."

"What do you need me to do?" Sayuri was hesitant to ask, but knew that he wanted her to.

He ran gloved fingers along a strand of her clean, pale hair as the lemon scent lifted to his mask again. "If I give you an order, I'm going to expect you to obey it. When the time comes that I need your…_disease_…you're going to willingly put it to use for me."

**Shift P.O.V**

Dabi spent over a week watching and observing. Planning for how he would get into that house. How he would find Sayuri and the kid. How he would get them out of there and get his revenge on the guy that dared to try to take Sayuri from him.

With the tall wall that surrounded the house, it was difficult to try to just climb over it. The gate at the front was often locked in the evening, but during the day lots of different people came and went. Some of them looking pretty weak and some of them looking like they would actually be strong opponents in a fight.

He had been watching the house at night, from the roof of a taller building, and that was when he finally spotted Sayuri. She was in a room off to the side with barred windows. Too thick for him to easily melt through and spaced too narrowly for her to squeeze through. It was irritating, but at least now he knew what room she was in. This would make it much easier when he burned the place to the ground.

The real issues now were locating the kid before he started burning everything and how he would get into the grounds. While it would be optimal to do it as covertly as possible, Dabi's patience was already running thin. He wanted to get Sayuri back and he barely minded bringing the kid along at this point.

It was evening when he made his move. The gate was unlocked because a group of guys had just left, presumably planning to be back soon, so Dabi took the opportunity to slip in. When a weaker-looking guy approached him to demand who he was and what he was doing there, the villain grabbed his arm and pinned it against the man's back.

"Alright; looks like you're gonna make my job easier than I thought it'd be. Let me tell you how this is gonna go. You tell me where they're keeping the kid and then we're gonna go on a little walk to get my girl. Whatever happens after that is up to you and how cooperative you're feeling," he threatened.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing!" The man sobbed as intense heat burned at the flesh around his wrist, beneath Dabi's grip.

He extinguished the flames and brought his face down near the man's. "Let's try that again. You've only got so much skin before I start doing some permanent damage. So you might wanna think about your next words carefully. Where is she?"


	35. Chapter 35

In front of the house, a man was screaming. Fingers snapped backwards on his right hand, his clothes alight with crackling blue flames as he shrieked in agony at the top of his lungs. Men were rushing out of the house to try to come to his aide and put out the flames. No one having time to take notice of the stranger that slipped into the house as they were soon distracted by how the slim little trees were burning to a crisp in the night air. The fire was already spreading to the other plants.

Dabi stalked down the hallway, following the directions his "helpful acquaintance" had given him. He easily forced open the door and was met with the sight he had hoped for. A little girl with long, pale hair. She was curled up in a ball on the bed with her back against the wall. Trembling and staring up at him with wide, watery red eyes.

He glanced over his shoulder into the hall and stepped into the room, kicking the door closed behind him and keeping the sole of his boot against it to hold it closed. Dabi shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the end of the bed. "Put that on and make it quick. We still have to get Sayuri."

"S-Sayuri…?" She stared at the jacket and then looked up at Dabi again. "Are you…here to save Sayuri?" Hope glimmered in her eyes as her little hands grasped the fabric of his jacket.

"Yeah. So hurry up and put that on. We don't much time. They're gonna have someone start searching for me soon." Once the child was wearing his jacket, he scooped her up in his arms and stood near the door.

In the hallway outside, there were shouts of panic as the flames began to spread to the house. Only confirming his suspicion that the men he was dealing with were nothing but petty criminals. Villain wannabes. He tightened his hold on the child and pressed his ear against the door to listen closer.

Running footsteps could be heard. A sloshing of water as someone struggled with a bucket to try to go put out the flames. Frantic calls back and forth asking if anyone knew where their boss was. From what Dabi could tell, whoever it was that was really in charge here had stepped out with the group he saw leaving earlier.

_Makes my job easier_, he thought with a smirk. He glanced down at the little girl as he felt her trembling. Her eyes were closed and there were tears running down her face as she clutched the dark fabric of his jacket around her.

"You shouldn't help me," she said, her voice weak. "You're…going to get hurt. Sayuri, too! I don't…I don't want her to get hurt!"

Dabi clicked his tongue and he heard footsteps moving toward her door at a rapid pace. He backed away quickly and shifted the girl so she was on his right hip; freeing his left arm so he could use his quirk. "Well she'd never forgive me if I left you here, kid. So you're just gonna have to trust me. Close your eyes."

There were so few things he cared for anymore. After years of seeing what a dark, cruel, fake world this was, he found it hard to care much for anything. Sayuri was the biggest exception and she cared for this little girl so he knew what he had to do. _If it was my kid, I'd probably make her look away anyway. The world's pretty rotten, but she doesn't have to see me make it worse._

The door flew open and a man in a suit stood there. Pausing for a moment before he turned his head to alert someone. Blue flames shot forward and sent him flying back against the opposite wall of the hallway. Clinging to his clothes, burning away his hair, consuming him as he screamed and flailed. As he tried to run off down the hallway and stumbled; spreading the flames further into the house.

Dabi held the kid closer against his side and looked toward the men running at him from the right, near the front of the house. He lifted his left hand as his eyes locked onto the men, letting blue fire dance on his palm and flicker in the air. "Think you can take the heat? Come on. You're all…seriously weak, you know that?"

**Shift P.O.V**

"You hear something?"

Sayuri glanced toward the window, frowning. Her hands gripped the recipe book a little tighter and she tilted her head. Pale hair fell forward over half of her face and she blinked up at Kurono. "No. What is it?"

He stared down at her, as if he thought she was playing dumb. Sitting at the table again, he shook his head. "Probably nothing."

She knew that Chisaki had gone out. Before she was put into her room, he had looked at Kurono and told him that he and "the others" were going out. His voice had dropped when he continued speaking to Kurono, but she had still managed to catch what was said. When he told Kurono that he could stay behind and do as he pleased, it made goose bumps rise on her skin.

Sayuri had been trying to avoid letting him get too close to her, but she had seen what his quirk could do. The idea of him making her unable to move, or slowing her movements, terrified her. Being stuck in place, unable to defend herself or get away from him. Being treated like some sort of reward for a job well done.

The pale-haired man was sitting beside her and studying the pages she was looking at. Leaning a bit too close for comfort. "Tomorrow, I think I want to try this one," he commented, pointing to a recipe in the book. "Think you can make it?"

The pale-haired young woman forced herself to smile. "I can try my best, Kurono-san." She shivered when she saw his eyes narrow. A cold, but somehow pleased, smile curving his lips as he leaned closer to her.

A hand settled on her lower back. A silent warning to keep still, which made her whole body tense up with unease. "You'd be a pretty decent housewife," Kurono remarked. "Wonder what Kai would think about getting you an apron. I could pick one up when I get you more clothes."

Her mind screamed at her to do something. Slap him across the face, push him away, scream at him to back off. However, her body was frozen in place from fear. Knowing that if she did any of those things, even if he let her get away with it unscathed, Chisaki would make sure she regretted her actions.

Sayuri was daydreaming about shoving him away, grabbing Eri, and running out of the house when the peaceful silence of the room was shattered by something horrific. A bloodcurdling scream could be heard outside, followed by howls of pure agony. Her nose twitched as she caught the faint smell of something familiar; cooked meat and burning hair. _What is that?!_

"What was that?" Kurono moved toward the window, where the sound had come in from, and sniffed at the air as well. Turning away from the window, his eyes had widened and he looked legitimately anxious. "Stay here," he ordered.

She watched him slip out of her room and heard him lock it behind him. Venturing over to the window, she heard shouting along with the crackling of flames. Her eyes widened as smoke billowed past her window and brought with it the intense smell of something burning. The young woman backed away from the window and looked toward her door.

_What's burning, though?_ Her thoughts went to Dabi, but she bit her lip and tried to stop the excited racing of her heart. _If it is him, he might get hurt! I don't know how many people are in this house and I don't know what kind of quirks or weapons they might have! If something happens to Dabi-!_

Sayuri's eyes widened as the smell of smoke became more intense. An alarm was going off somewhere in the house, down the hallway from her. She heard something on the other side of her door seconds before she saw it forced open. Tears rose to her eyes and she covered her mouth.

Behind Dabi, the hallway was lit by the brilliant blue flames off to his left. Smoke was thick in the air and the second his sharp turquoise eyes landed on her soft lilac ones, he smirked and gave her a beckoning nod. He was holding Eri on his right hip and the little girl had her face pressed into his shoulder, but she looked up at Sayuri when the man called to her.

She sprinted across her room and threw her arms around both Dabi and Eri. Sobbing with relief and wanting to just revel in this moment, but there was no time. Dabi shoved her to his right side as he sent a blast of blue fire at the men running toward them down the hallway.

"How do we get out of here?" he half-shouted over the crackle of the flames. The hallway to his left was completely engulfed in flames and it was quickly spreading to the rest of the house. People were screaming as it caught onto their clothes and cooked their flesh.

_He didn't even have an escape plan?!_ Sayuri grabbed his right sleeve and tugged, putting her free hand over her nose and mouth to minimize how much smoke she inhaled. The young woman led him toward the back of the house to the garden, but she was unsure of how they would escape from there. She had only seen part of it so whether there was a gate back there or not, she did not know.

He kept anyone from following them by sending a fresh burst of fire behind him every so often with his left hand. Still holding Eri on his right hip to keep her safe from the fire. Dabi's head was turned so he looked over his shoulder at the blazing, blue inferno behind him when they approached the door to the garden.

Sayuri burst through the door and out of the smoke-filled house. Taking in a deep breath of fresh, crisp night air. She turned to look at Dabi and a choked cry escaped her as a hand tangled in her pale hair. The young woman was forcefully yanked away from the doorway as Dabi and Eri emerged from the house, pulling her back against someone's chest as their free hand gripped her throat.

Her hands lifted on instinct and she dug her nails into the hand holding her neck. Thrashing and stomping as she tried to pull free. The grip on her throat tightened and blunt nails sank into her skin as she gasped for air.

"Keep struggling and I'll have to use my quirk on you," Kurono warned.

_Shit! Shit, shit, shit!_ Sayuri went still and met Dabi's gaze when he looked over. The man's bright turquoise eyes narrowed with malice and his mouth twisted into a scowl. "St-stay back!" she choked out.

"Might want to listen to your girl." Kurono kept his fingers tangled in her hair and lowered his hand from her throat. Digging his hand into his pocket and bringing forth a dart gun. His arm slipped beneath her bust and forced her tighter against his chest, making her wince. The gun pointed up beneath her chin, loaded with an unknown dart. "You don't know what I've got in this dart. Might be poison. Might be a tranquilizer. You want to take that risk?"

Dabi gritted his teeth and tightened his hold on Eri. Looking from Kurono to Sayuri. Seeing the tears roll down her face as the man's hand yanked harshly at her long, pale hair. "Seriously? I burned down your house. You really think you're gonna get out of this on top? You must be…pretty stupid."

"Put the kid down."

"Nah. I don't think I'm gonna do that."

"Why do you even want the kid? She's nobody special." Kurono pulled the gun away from Sayuri's chin and pointed it at Dabi. "Put her down and just walk out of here or my finger might slip and-"

"Just run! Please take her away from here and run! Don't worry about me! Just save her! Please!" Sayuri screamed this, hoping that Dabi would honor her wishes and try to escape with the child. _As long as Eri's safe, that's all that matters! I just want her to be safe! Please, Dabi!_

"What do you think is going to happen to you if Eri escapes?" Kurono hissed. Yanking her head back toward his shoulder and glaring down at her coldly. "Kai's quirk is more than putting somebody back together; it goes both ways. You really wanna know what it feels like to be blown apart and reassembled?"

Her blood ran cold and she closed her eyes as his mouth moved right beside her ear. Hissing more threats that made her begin to tremble with terror. When she opened her eyes, they widened. Kurono had to move quickly to avoid the flames shooting toward them and in the man's moment of panic, his hold on her loosened enough for the young woman to slip away from him.

The seams between Dabi's scarred flesh and his normal skin was beginning to bleed a little beneath one eye and along his left cheek. His eyes were wide, two-toned lips drawn back into a crazed grin that tugged at his staples. Threatening to bust open along the seams. He started toward Kurono with his left arm out, letting the flames force the man to move back toward the burning house in order to avoid the line of blue fire.

Sayuri was on the other side of the blast, facing Kurono through the flickering heat. Her scalp aching and the intense temperature of Dabi's fire making her sweat. She edged closer to Dabi's side and then around to where Eri was clinging to his right. "Let's go! We need to leave before Chisaki comes back!"

"What're you talking about? We've gotta finish this now or else-!"

"Come on! _Now_, Dabi!" She reached toward his left arm, forcing him to stop his quirk to avoid the flames catching onto her. Sayuri grabbed his wrist and began to run. Leading him to the far end of the garden and then along the wall. Searching desperately for some way to escape as flames ate away at the entire house.

There was no way out from the back garden. At least, no way that she could see easily. Sayuri began to panic as she glanced toward the house and saw Kurono watching her. His normally cold eyes filled with a burning hatred as they fixed upon her. Taking slow, confident steps toward them.

An arm wrapped around Sayuri while she was distracted and a blast of blue fire engulfed the grass beneath her as Dabi used his quirk to force all three of them into the air high enough to get to the top of the wall. He leapt down with her, still holding Eri, and led Sayuri off toward an alley. Leaving the house blazing behind them in the distance.


	36. Chapter 36

_What do we do now? We can't go back to the apartment. I can't go to Fuyumi's house. I don't…have any family nearby and even if I did, I wouldn't want to put anyone else in danger. But Chisaki knew where I lived! He knew so much more than he let me believe at first! What am I supposed to do now?! Do we flee the country? But how are we going to afford that?_

Dabi felt Sayuri trembling and looked down at her. Still holding Eri on his hip. Still bleeding from the seams between his scarred, burned skin and his unmarred flesh. Missing a staple from the corner of his mouth. Despite doing so much damage to himself and looking exhausted, he still picked up on Sayuri's worries and pulled her closer against his side.

"What're you thinking?" he muttered, keeping his voice down.

She ran her fingers through her hair and a small, panicked laugh escaped her before she covered her mouth and shook her head. "I don't…know what to do now," she confessed. "What are we supposed to do? He knows where we live, Dabi. And I don't have any family that I can turn to. What are we supposed to do? I didn't think this through! I wanted to save Eri, but now-!"

He lifted a hand and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. Blood oozing from his seams, turquoise eyes half-lidded. "Settle down. I'll think of something."

"But-!"

"Said to _quiet down_," he growled. Leaning down, he covered her lips with his and shifted his hand to run through her hair. When he broke away, he smirked. "We'll figure out something. For starters, you're both gonna need new clothes, right? I'll find a place for you to hide while I grab some supplies."

"O-okay." Sayuri glanced from him to the little girl. They had been running for quite a while and Eri had dozed off with her head resting against his shoulder. Still wearing his jacket. The sight made Sayuri's lips twitch into a half smile and she released a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for saving Eri, too," she whispered. Her hand held onto his and she gave him a full, but tired, smile when he looked down again.

"Yeah, well. Figured you'd want me to get both of you." His smirk faded and he adjusted his hold on the child when he felt her slipping. "Seriously not crazy about raising some other guy's kid, but you wanted her, right?"

Sayuri's pulse skipped when she heard him talk about raising Eri and her smile grew a little. "Yeah. Hey, you know…even if she's not ours, I bet we'd be better parents than mine were."

"Wouldn't be hard to be better than my parents," he agreed.

It was the first time she could remember him ever mentioning his parents. Tilting her head, she looked up at him through the dimness of the alley. "Your parents were pretty bad?"

"My old man was a monster. And my mom…didn't do shit to protect me from him. I still can't believe he didn't kill any of us." Dabi's tone got darker. His head lowered a little as he glared down at the ground. The hand holding Sayuri's tightened and he licked at the blood collecting at the corner of his mouth. "That bastard…really fucked up a lot of people's lives."

They kept walking for a while, falling into silence. Sayuri glanced over at Dabi every so often, wondering if he would say anything else about his family. _His dad really sounds like an asshole_, she thought as she gave his hand a small squeeze.

"Here we go. This should work for right now." Dabi helped her through the broken first floor window of a building that looked vacant. He handed Eri to her through the window and then climbed in to join them. Eri was settled onto Sayuri's back and then he took her hand again as they searched for a good hiding place.

Finding an old storage room, full of dusty furniture and boxes, Dabi helped them settle into the corner furthest from the door. He crouched down and wrapped an old blanket around them both, frowning and wiping at the blood on his face with the back of his hand. "I'm gonna be back soon. Any requests?"

"Can you get a first aid kit and some water?" Sayuri wrapped an arm around Eri as the little girl blinked sleepily. _I want to treat his wounds before they get infected, but I don't know if I can take them myself. I'll have to see what I can do to help him, though._

"Yeah. Kid? You want anything?" Dabi looked down at Eri, who stared up at him through a groggy haze. When she just tilted her head, he reached down and ruffled her hair. "I'll get you something. Both of you just stay quiet and don't leave this room, got it?"

"This…room?" Eri seemed to slowly remember what had happened and her eyes widened. She clung to Sayuri and looked past Dabi at the open doorway. "Sayuri, y-you have to…take me back. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not letting you go back there," she argued.

"Same. Don't make trouble, kid. Sayuri's gonna take care of you whether you like or not; I know from experience. Better to let her just do it instead of making her worry. Anyway, I'll be back soon."

Sayuri held onto the child as Dabi left and tried to help her calm down. "Everything's going to be okay, Eri-chan. I promise. I won't let Chisaki-san or Kurono-san hurt you again. We're going to be okay."

"I…I don't want anything to happen to you. And it's my fault he got hurt."

"Eri, look at me." Sayuri smoothed the girl's pale, wavy hair away from her face and tried to smile. "Dabi…is stubborn when he wants to be. He wouldn't have pushed himself like that if he didn't want to. He knew what overusing his quirk would do, but he did it anyway because he wanted to. So don't worry and don't feel like it's your fault. Besides, I'm going to patch him up when he gets back."

"Patch…? You're not going to heal him…like when you heal me?"

"Dabi's injuries are different." She frowned a little and tipped her head back to lean it against the wall. When an idea popped into her head, she found her smile again. "Take a nap, okay? Maybe when he comes back, I can show you how to patch someone up without using a quirk. How does that sound?"

**Shift P.O.V**

Unlike Sayuri, this was not the first time Dabi was on the run from someone. Not even the first time he had been in a situation where leaving the country might be his best option. He knew what he was doing and he knew that he had to take charge if the three of them wanted to have any hope of surviving this.

He wiped some blood from under his eye and grimaced at the shining, crimson liquid that smeared across the back of his hand. First on his list was the first aid kit and some provisions. He got weird looks from the clerk in the convenience store, but ignored them.

Even if Sayuri's pale-haired stalker found him, he had zero intention of telling the guy where Sayuri and the little girl were hiding. _My own dad was trash. I'm not gonna go down that same path_, he told himself. This was just another chance to show himself and the world that he was better than his father.

Gathering disguises came next. Sayuri and the kid were wearing nightgowns so Dabi had to get them some clothes that would help them blend in better. He managed to find a few items. They were less than ideal, but at least it would help them become inconspicuous.

As he walked back toward the old building, staying in the shadows and remaining hyper aware of his surroundings, a thought crossed his mind. Something irritating, but useful. If he left them at the Todoroki house, they would be safer than if they were on the run. How Endeavor would react, he had no idea, but he knew Fuyumi would help. She had always been annoyingly helpful. Even when they were kids.

It would be for the best if he took them to the Todoroki house. Fuyumi could help Sayuri take care of the little girl and keep them both hidden until it was safe for them to go outside again. They would be safe and Fuyumi would make sure they got everything they needed. It was the best thing he could for them, if he really wanted them to be safe.

However, Dabi was selfish. He could admit that to himself and he tried to justify it. Without Sayuri, he had nothing. No one. If he left her and the child at the Todoroki house, then he would be alone again. He would be free to do whatever he wanted; burn as many people as he wanted and not worry about someone complaining he was covered in ashes and smelled like smoke. But he would be alone.

_I already lost her once. I'm not gonna just let her go again_, he decided. _Besides. She wouldn't last a day staying in that house. Not when __**he's**__ there. She'd be begging me to come back for her. Keeping her close to me, I'm doing her a favor._

He found Sayuri curled up in the corner with the little girl; just like he had left her. He quietly trudged across the dimly-lit room. Dabi crouched down and reached out to tuck a lock of snow-pale hair behind her ear. She opened her eyes and offered him a half-smile, which he smirked at. "Miss me, babe?"

She pushed herself closer and brought her lips to his. When Sayuri tried to lean back again, she found his fingers threading into her hair and holding her close against him. She lifted a hand and gently caress his cheek, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled it away before she could use her quirk on him. The young woman pouted when he broke the kiss. "Let me take those from you," she tried to demand.

"No way. I saw the scars on your arms. You're not gonna take these, too. Give me the kid. I brought a first aid kit so you can patch me up." Dabi accepted the sleeping child from her and settled the kid against his side to keep her warm.

Sayuri knelt in front of him and tore open a pack of alcohol wipes to clean the splits in his seams. Working carefully and glancing to his eyes every so often to see if he was in pain. She leaned in closer to examine where one of his staples had come free from the corner of his mouth and hissed in sympathy. "Can you feel any of this? You know, a lot of people would've passed out from their skin splitting open."

"Do I look like most people?" he taunted. "I had other stuff on my mind so I didn't even notice when the seams split." There was no way he was going to let her know that it hurt. That the bleeding seams stung in the chilled spring night air.

Not able to keep looking at that worried expression on Sayuri's face, he looked down at the child curled up against his side. "Crazy," he muttered under his breath.

"What's crazy?" Sayuri was opening a pack of adhesive bandages and paused to look at the two, puzzled.

Dabi smirked; glad to have distracted her from fussing over his injuries. "This kid. She looks like this girl my sister brought to the house all the time when I lived at home." He saw Sayuri tilt her head a little. "This little crybaby with white hair. Always covered in scrapes and bruises."

Lilac eyes widened as his words sank in. Sayuri's hands started to tremble. "Oh? Really? That's…pretty weird," she commented. "Sounds kind of needy. I mean, if she cried all the time." She started to put the bandages on, but she was avoiding his eyes now. Biting her lip and flushing pink in the cheeks.

"Yeah, kinda." He let her finish bandaging him and stretched a little before he settled against the wall. Eyes half-lidded as he lifted them to meet hers directly. A playful sort grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "I remember one time when she wouldn't stop crying. Nobody knew what to do so when my sister went to get help, I ended up holding her and trying to get her to stop."

"Oh? Really?" Sayuri's voice broke a little and she attempted to smile, but it was weak. "Heh. She just really sounds like she was a lot of trouble for you, then."

"Yeah. I've got…pretty bad taste in girls, I guess. That crybaby was my first crush and she probably grew up to still be a crybaby that takes other people's injuries for them. Bet she still gets pushed around, too." Dabi's eyes widened a little when Sayuri threw her arms around his neck, but soon he was smirking and wrapping his free arm around her.

"You…ngh! What the hell?! This whole time? Why didn't you…_say_ something? Why didn't you tell me? I didn't know what happened and now…now you're telling me and I don't even know-!" Sayuri was quieted by his mouth meeting hers and she leaned into the kiss.

Dabi leaned back against the wall after breaking contact and saw tears running down her face, but she was smiling. Different from how she usually smiled; this was a shy, sort of sheepish smile accompanied by a blush. "What's the matter?" he taunted. "At least you know now, right?"

"You're…so stupid." She shook her head and settled onto the floor on his other side. Putting his arm around her shoulders as her smile evolved into a grin. "Touya. You let me just pour my heart out about my first love and embarrass myself like that." Sayuri snorted and shook her head again. "And this timing is ridiculous. We could've died today."

"Don't call me that. I haven't gone by that name since I left home," he protested. "It's _Dabi_. And I don't wanna kill the mood, but we still have to figure some stuff out before we can act like it's all safe."


	37. Chapter 37

For just a second, Sayuri was afraid it was all a dream. It just seemed too perfect; the epic rescue, finding such a perfect hiding place. What really made her question her reality was when she remembered Dabi's confession.

_Touya._ Her eyelids fluttered open and she pushed herself to sit up. Shivering under the thin blanket that was wrapped around her. Her eyes widened when she realized that Dabi and Eri were gone.

She struggled to her feet and hurried toward the door, letting the blanket drop. She wanted to call out for them, but stopped herself. If Kurono or someone else had tracked her to the building, she might give away her hiding place.

_Eri! Where's Eri?! I have to find her! I've seen what Chisaki does to her without even having a reason._ _If he finds her now…_Sayuri's pulse was racing as she neared the door to the storage room and finally emerged into the main area.

The previous night when Dabi led them in, they had to navigate through a maze of office furniture. Desks, chairs, busted computers, file cabinets, and boxes. When Sayuri emerged into this mess, her lilac eyes briefly shifted around the room until they landed on something that made her breath catch in her throat.

The little girl was sitting on one of the old desks, wearing Dabi's jacket and staring in amazement at the bun he was unwrapping for her. When she seemed to sense Sayuri looking at her, she lifted her wide red eyes. "Sayuri…?"

"Sayuri? What? You're finally awake? You slept more than the kid did." Dabi finished unwrapping the food and handed it over to Eri, who stared at it for a moment before taking a bite. He turned his attention to Sayuri and smirked. "What's the matter? You look surprised to see me."

"You…idiot! Don't mess with me like that," she mumbled. "The last time you disappeared-"

"We're not gonna talk about that right now. We've got other stuff to worry about. I got some new clothes for you last night. Take the kid to change and I'll get rid of those…whatever you're wearing right now."

She glanced down at her nightgown and warmth spread across her face. _I forgot that I was wearing this._ It was embarrassing; wearing something so frilly and so completely not her style. Of course, it was the only sleepwear she had when she was being held captive. She really had no other options.

She accepted a couple of bags from Dabi and led Eri back into the room, leaving her childhood crush to stand guard while they changed. The clothes he got for Eri were a little big, but they would definitely hide her identity. He somehow managed to get a pair of jeans that looked like they might have been intended for a boy and a t-shirt with a panda on the front. With the oversized hoodie on top of the shirt and with the hood pulled up, Eri could almost pass for a little boy.

Sayuri was just glad to be able to wear pants again. The whole time she was living in Chisaki's home, her only options were dresses and skirts. Putting on a pair of light gray jeans and a pale purple t-shirt with a black hoodie over it, she felt more like her old self. Just a little more confident.

Eri stood quietly for a while, watching Sayuri brush some dust off of her hoodie. "He's being really nice to us. I don't…I don't want anything bad to happen to him."

She crouched down and gently smoothed a stray lock of pale hair away from the child's face. "Eri, we're not going to let Chisaki take you back. But Dabi is really strong. You saw his quirk, didn't you?"

The little girl nodded. "It was pretty."

A smile tugged at her lips, trying to imagine how Dabi would react to someone telling him that his fire was pretty. "And it was _powerful_, wasn't it?"

"He…he made Kurono let go of you. Kurono was afraid of it." Eri tilted her head after Sayuri pulled up her hood, staring up at the young woman. "I wish I could be like that. I could help people."

Her arms slid around the child in a hug and Sayuri lifted her onto her hip, unable to hide her smile anymore. "Eri, you'll be able to help people no matter. You've got a good heart."

"A good…heart?"

"That's what really matters. It doesn't matter what kind of quirk you have, as long as you have a good heart. You could even be quirk-less and still help people!"

Dabi greeted them with a raised eyebrow, lazily glancing from the kid to Sayuri. "What were you telling her?"

"I-I want to help people," Eri announced.

"I was telling her that as long as someone's got a good heart, they can help people." Her smile turned taunting as she walked past Dabi toward the broken window they had come in through. "Even if they're a jerk that disappears for a long time and doesn't bother to announce it when they come back."

A finger hooked through her back belt loop and tugged. She fell against his chest and tipped her head back to meet his smirk with a frown. Before she could say anything, he leaned down and covered her lips with his. The rough, scarred flesh of his lower lip scraped against hers and his free hand slid beneath her chin to keep her from breaking the kiss until he was ready.

When he finally let go, he licked his lips and saw her face going red. "What about crybabies that let people push them around?" he teased.

She blinked up at him and then looked away, her confidence overtaken by embarrassment. "Y-yeah? Yeah, even they can help people. Sometimes they just take too much, though."

"They've just gotta learn when to say "no"." Dabi's fingertips trailed down along her throat until they skimmed over the deep scar on her collarbone. The scar that matched one of his from the night they had first reunited. "You'll learn. Come on; I'm walking ahead of you in case that freak shows up."

Sayuri let him take her hand, basking in the warmth radiating off of his skin. It was cold inside of the building and she was sure it was probably cold outside. It was only spring and she could tell it was still decently early in the morning.

"He's not the one that you need to be worried about," she started.

"What're you talking about? That guy with the white hair was her dad, right? He was the one that you were working for."

"No. Dabi, that wasn't him. That was his…friend? Boyfriend? Assistant? But that wasn't Eri's father." She felt Eri grip onto her hoodie and the little girl buried her face in Sayuri's shoulder. "It's okay, Eri. He's not going to take you back. I promised, remember?"

Dabi looked over his shoulder, irritated. "So what's he look like?"

She did her best to describe Chisaki, but when it came to telling Dabi what his quirk was, she was unsure of what to say. Sayuri had only experienced it firsthand once and it was when he healed the cut on her cheekbone. She knew he healed all of Eri's cuts after her treatments, but Kurono had said something before she managed to escape. Something about Chisaki being able to disassemble and reassemble someone.

"He left before you showed up," she continued. "I don't know where he went or what he was doing, but he wasn't at the house when you started burning everything."

"Saying it like it's a bad thing," he teased. "So what's the problem? Sounds like he's a shitty dad. What does he care if his kid gets taken away?"

"I don't know." Sayuri looked down at Eri, who was still hiding her face. "But he's probably not going to give up on trying to find her. We have to find a better hiding place. Maybe if we talked to…er…well, maybe if _I_ talk to Fuyumi-"

"Not gonna happen. You're not going to that place." His hand tightened around hers and when she moved beside him, she saw the muscles in his jaw tensing. "We'll find a place to hide out until the heat dies down. Give him long enough and he'll probably just get sick of looking for you both."

They moved down the sidewalk at a steady pace. Everyone they passed saw only a young couple and their very shy child rather than an arsonist, his girlfriend, and the little girl they were trying to protect. Sayuri tried to keep her head lowered as they walked; holding Dabi's hand and biting the inside of her cheek as he led her.

_Touya. Where did you go for all those years? No one told me what happened to you. You just disappeared one day. What happened to you on Christmas night? You never really explained it. I found you lying half-dead in the snow. What would have happened if I didn't see you there?_

Just the thought of it made her chest tighten. Imagining him freezing to death. Her childhood friend. Her first love. The fact that their paths happened to cross that night and she took the initiative to bring him home with her and heal him seemed to be proof that they were meant to be together.

"Here. Come on. Stay close." Dabi pushed open the door to a shop and they were met with aromas that made Sayuri's stomach growl. Coffee, tea, freshly baked pastries and bread. He led her over to a table near the counter, as far from the window as possible. "Keep your hoods up. I'm gonna find a new place for us to hide out for a while. Stay here. And if-"

"If they show up, I'm not letting them take us," Sayuri interrupted. She glanced toward the door and then back to him. "Hurry back."

"Right. Here. Get some food. I got the kid a custard bun, but I heard your stomach growling." Dabi put some cash in front of her on the table before he hurried outside again.

"It's…nice in here," Eri commented, looking up at Sayuri.

She managed a smile, despite feeling uneasy about separating from Dabi. "It is, isn't it? I'm going to order breakfast, okay? Stay here." She walked over to the counter and was greeted by a young woman a bit younger than her.

"Hey there. What can I get for you?" The clerk grinned across at her and brushed her dark blue-green hair away from her eyes.

"Could I get one hot chocolate, one coffee with milk and sugar, and then two of this pastry?" Sayuri pointed to the display case to the side.

"Sure thing. Just a second, okay?" The clerk turned to the other woman behind the counter. "Hey, Misora-san? This one's on me, okay?"

"Hm?" The woman with long, wavy blue hair turned to look over her shoulder and her eyes went from Sayuri to Eri. "Oh! No, don't worry about it, Okabe." She went over to the display case and filled up a plate with a few pastries before offering it to Sayuri over the counter. "Naosu-sensei, they said you resigned, but I didn't know you had a little one, too! What's her name?"

Sayuri blinked as it finally set in. This was the mother of one of her students. "Yawarakai-san! Wow! I didn't recognize you!"

"It's the apron, right?" She smiled and pushed the plate closer. "Here. It's the least I can do for you. So what's your daughter's name? How old is she?"

"That's Emi," she replied, knowing she had to keep Eri's name a secret. The last thing she wanted was for Chisaki to harm this woman. Out of all of the students' parents, Yawarakai Misora was by far the most pleasant to talk to. "She's six. I've been homeschooling her. Well, my _boyfriend_ has. Her father is…well we're trying to avoid him."

The teal-haired girl behind the counter tilted her head as she caught Sayuri's meaning. "Misora-san?" Seeing her boss nod, she looked toward the door and tapped a fingernail against the counter. "We don't tolerate creeps. So no worries. If that jerk comes through that door and starts harassing you, I'll toss him out on his ass." She kept her voice down to prevent Eri from hearing.

As much as Sayuri wanted to tell the girl to not try to fight Chisaki, something told her that her warning would fall on deaf ears. She heard running footsteps off to the side behind a door and tensed, but when the door opened she was greeted by the sight of Misora's daughter.

"Naosu-sensei! Where've you been? What are you doing at the café?" The little girl hugged Sayuri, but froze when her eyes settled on Eri at the table. She let go of Sayuri and tilted her head. "Who is that?"

"That's Emi-chan. She's Naosu-sensei's daughter," Misora answered.

"Oh. Oh! Does she want to play? Sensei, I have a new coloring book! Does she like coloring? What's her favorite color? How old is she? Does she like cats?"

_This…might be a good opportunity._ Sayuri looked to the girl's mother. "Yawarakai-san, would it be okay if we-?"

"Of course! That was your boyfriend that came in with you, right? We'll watch for him and let you know when he's back," the woman assured her.

"Thank you. I really owe you." Sayuri walked over to the table and gently took Eri's hand. "_Emi-chan_, do you want to come upstairs with me? Michiko-chan has a coloring book she wants to show you."

"M-Michiko…chan?" Eri looked past her at the blue-haired little girl, who smiled at her and waved. "Um…I don't know…"

Completely undeterred, the other child ran over to the table. "Do you want to be friends with me?"

"Friends…?" The pale-haired girl looked uncertainly at the hand that the other girl extended. "You…you want to be friends with me?"

_Has Eri never been around another kid her age? How long did Chisaki have her locked in that house?_ Sayuri gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Come on; Yawarakai-san said we can go upstairs until he comes back. You can color with Michiko-chan and eat breakfast, okay? It will be fun."


	38. Chapter 38

_This is…seriously pathetic._ He narrowed his eyes at the burning heap of flesh and fabric. The flames crackled, sending up bright blue embers when he nudged at a leg with the toe of his boot. Turning away, shaking his head with disappointment, he started off down the alley.

Dabi opened the wallet he managed to snag before he set the guy ablaze and started counting how much money there was. It was a decent amount, but not enough to compensate his annoyance. At least it would be enough to help take care of the kid, though.

He shoved the wallet into his pocket and ran his hands through his hair to get rid of any lingering ashes. Opening his jacket, he peered down into the inner pocket at his somewhat distressed passengers. Shirayuki and Kamishiro peeked up at him from inside the pocket and he reached in to pet their heads with a fingertip.

When he went to retrieve Sayuri's rats from her apartment, he quickly realized he was being followed. He hoped that whoever it was would present more of a challenge, but this guy was just as weak and boring as the others that he burned. Just more fuel for his flames.

_The kid's dad must be pretty weak_, he thought with a smirk. _Doesn't even have the balls to come after me himself, but he'll send these losers to try to kill me._ He was almost tempted to go back to that house and finish what he started, but then he thought of Sayuri and the kid.

_Later_, he promised himself. When they had somewhere safe to keep the little girl, he would try to find her dad and finish him off. For now, he had to prioritize getting back to that café. From there, Dabi would need to find another place for them to hide.

He had left them at a table near the counter, but when he stepped into the coffee shop he found the table empty. Dabi looked to the counter and saw a girl with dark bluish-green hair leaning against the display case and texting someone. "Hey. I left a girl and her kid here. Did you see where they went?"

She tensed. "You'll have to go through me-! Oh! It's just you." Her narrow amber eyes lifted as she spoke, scowling at first until her gaze roamed over him and she recognized him from when he walked in earlier.

Dabi raised an eyebrow. The clerk almost seemed disappointed. "What's the matter? You really wanted to fight the kid's dad?" he taunted.

The girl tapped a fingertip against the counter and glared up at him. "You know, it's not every day I get the chance to go all out and shake things up. I wouldn't have minded having the opportunity to beat up an abusive asshole. Anyone that hurts kids is the lowest kind of person. Barely even human." The two stood there for a long moment, eyes locked, before she grinned. "But no worries. She vouched for you so I know you must be a pretty good guy; even if you smell like a fire pit."

He was directed through a door to the stairs leading to the living area above the café, but not before the teal-haired girl warned him not to get ashes on the floor. Dabi ignored her and emerged through the door at the top of the stairs to find something that made him frown.

Sayuri was sitting at the table in the living room area with Eri and a little girl with light blue hair. The stranger was excitedly showing Eri a kitten and it was clear that this was probably the first kitten the pale-haired little girl had ever seen up close. This wholesome scene made him pause, feeling out of place.

"This is Sashimi-chan," the stranger said, putting the kitten in Eri's lap. "I helped save her from some boys."

"Sashimi-chan…?"

"That's a…weird name for a cat." Dabi smirked when he saw Sayuri turn toward him. "What'd I miss?" He strode across the room to sit beside her and immediately saw her nose twitch as she noticed the smell of smoke that was clinging to him.

"This is one of my old students," Sayuri explained, introducing the little girl as Michiko. "Her mom said we could wait for you here. Where did you go?" Her soft lilac eyes skimmed over him, searching for new injuries.

"I'm fine," he muttered. "I had someone tailing me for a while, but I had to get something. Figured you wouldn't want me to leave them." He opened his jacket enough to let her see the rats that were now curled up in his pocket asleep. "Anyway, what're we gonna do now? Can't go back to your place; her old man's got people watching it."

"I figured." She leaned against his side, deciding not to let the smoky aroma bother her. "I don't know what to do. We can't go back there. I don't really know anyone trustworthy besides Fuyumi and Natsuo."

"I'm not letting you go there," Dabi stated.

"I don't like it, either, but we don't have a lot of options. I want to keep her safe." Sayuri's voice softened and she looked toward Eri with a frown.

He followed her gaze and saw the little girl staring down at the kitten in amazement. She seemed to have cheered up a bit and almost resembled a normal kid in this moment; sitting with another little girl and talking about dumb things like kittens and favorite colors or foods. _She looks a lot like Sayuri did_, he thought with a grimace. _Damn it._

It was true. They had very few options. Not to mention the fact that Dabi knew that Sayuri and Eri would be safe at the Todoroki house. Not because Endeavor would protect them, but because the intimidation would probably be enough to deter someone from breaking in. He could admit it was a good idea, but he could also admit that he was selfish.

"You're not taking her there." He saw her open her mouth to argue and threaded a hand into her snow-colored hair to force her closer. His lips covered hers in a harsh kiss that smothered her argument. When he pulled away, he saw the flushed color of her cheeks. "Stop thinking about it. I can do a better job protecting you both anyway. That old man still scares you, right?"

"Coffee's ready."

Dabi's head turned to the left sharply and he noticed a woman with long, wavy blue hair walking toward them from the kitchen with a tray. _How'd I miss someone like that? I didn't even notice her over there._

The woman smiled and sat next to the blue-haired little girl. She set out cups of steaming black coffee for herself, Dabi, and Sayuri as well as mugs of hot chocolate for the children. "So you're Naosu-sensei's boyfriend. It's nice to meet you."

He stared across the table at the woman before smirking. "Yeah. Same." He inched closer to the pale-haired woman, feeling a bit more possessive suddenly. _What's with this lady? Didn't think Sayuri was friends with any of those kids' parents._

"So I couldn't help overhearing that you need a place to stay," she started, her smile growing. Beside her, her daughter's eyes widened and she beamed. "I was thinking maybe you could stay here tonight. The girls could have a slumber party out here and you two could use my room. I'll stay in Michiko's room. What do you think, Naosu-sensei?"

Dabi listened half-heartedly as Sayuri talked with the stranger, but he was trying to come up with a plan. Being followed meant they would be unable to stay in one place for very long. If he could just go back to that house and burn Eri's dad to cinders, he could fix everything. He was pulled out of his fiery daydream by a gentle tugging at his sleeve.

Looking over, he found that Eri had moved closer to sit next to him. She was trembling a little and holding a piece of paper out to him. "What's that?"

"I…I made this for you…"

He took the paper and lowered his gaze to the drawing. It was obviously meant to be a picture of him, drawn in purple and black crayon, with blue fire around him. In messy handwriting, she had put "thank you" at the top of the paper. Dabi tilted his head, studying it for a minute before he rested a hand on the top of Eri's head and ruffled her hair. "Not bad."

**Shift P.O.V**

Sayuri watched the interaction between Eri and Michiko with a heavy sort of feeling in her heart. _I wish we had more time_, she thought. _I wish this could just be normal for us. I wish you could have a friend and do normal kid stuff. But we're not safe here. We're not safe anywhere._

She agreed to stay with Misora for one night, just so Eri could get a taste of what normal life was like. It was becoming clearer than ever just how isolated Chisaki had kept her. Michiko was probably the first friend Eri ever made. This kitten was definitely the first cat Eri had ever seen in real life.

Watching her present Dabi with the crayon drawing, Sayuri had to smile. She remembered when she was younger; going over to the Todoroki house to spend time with Fuyumi and her brothers. Before everything got so terrifying. Before she knew how wretched their father was. Before Touya disappeared.

Misora went downstairs to the coffee shop again to keep working; leaving Sayuri and Dabi to watch her daughter. The pale-haired woman sat against the couch as the little girls talked among themselves, frowning as she tried to think of a plan. She had never felt so isolated before.

Unable to go to her family for help. Her only friends were Fuyumi, Natsuo, and apparently Misora. _I can't make Dabi take care of everything. I need to do something. But what can I do? I can't even protect Eri with my quirk. All I can do is heal her if something happens to her._

"This coffee's weird," Dabi muttered next to her.

"It's really good," she protested. "I don't know how Yawarakai-san makes black coffee taste like this. It's not even bitter."

"Maybe that's her quirk," he teased. He looked over when he failed to get a laugh from her and raised an eyebrow. "What're you thinking about?"

"I'm trying to come up with a plan." Sayuri attempted to keep her voice down to hide her worry from the children. "I mean, should we try to leave the country? He knew a lot about me. He knew where I lived, where I worked. What if he saw me with Fuyumi and now he's going to go after her? What if he saw us come in here and now he's going to-?"

"If he tries taking you again, I'll just burn him to a pile of ash."

She slouched and fidgeted with a stray lock of hair. "You can't just burn away all of your problems, Dabi."

"What're you talking about? It's all I can do, right? I can burn stuff."

She shook her head and nudged her shoulder against his. "You _saved_ us. You risked your life to rescue me and you made sure to get her out of there, too. That was pretty cool." Her eyes widened when he ruffled her hair. "What're you-?"

"Some bruised up little crybaby told me that once," he started, not looking at her. "You know why? It was over something stupid. All I did was hug her because it was all I could do and she thought I was cool because of it."

Sayuri snickered and leaned against his side. "Yeah, well…it still helped."

Dabi's arm slid around her again, his skin warm even through his sleeve, and he was silent for a moment. "I remember one time," he started with hesitation. "This guy called _Calorie Bomb_ came to the house and it really pissed off my old man." He tipped his head back to rest against the couch, watching her from the corner of his eye. "Wonder if he had any friends."

Her eyes widened and she half-smiled. "Y-yeah. Probably."

He sighed, sounding both irritated and exhausted. Blood oozing through the bandage beneath his eye. "Here." Dabi dug his phone from his pocket and dropped it onto Sayuri's lap. His head fell against her shoulder and his breathing slowed. "I'm gonna nap. Wake me up if something happens. Don't try to…do it yourself."

_How much sleep has he been getting? _Sayuri picked up his phone and felt him lean against her heavily, letting her know he had dozed off. The warmth of his cheek could be felt even through her hoodie. She only saw a few numbers in his contact list and the only female name was hers. Glancing over at her scarred, sleeping boyfriend, she knew she would have to fight the instinct to call Fuyumi.

_Aunt Sumire. I have to call her and maybe she can give me some of Umetarou's contacts? Is that okay, though? I know we need help, but what if they say no? But they're heroes. Heroes are supposed to help people. _She thought of Endeavor for an instant and shook her head. **_Real_**_ heroes help people._

"Is he okay?" Eri's new friend was looking at Dabi curiously.

Sayuri looked at the red spot growing on the bandage under his eye and winced. "He's going to be fine, Michiko-chan. Do you know if your mom has a first aid kit?" When the little girl ran down to the café to get it, Sayuri saw the worried look on Eri's face as she moved closer. "He's alright. He just…wore himself out. That's what happens when you push yourself too much with your quirk."

"His quirk…? The fire?" Eri reached toward him and recoiled when she touched his hand. "H-hot."

"Hot?" Sayuri touched his patchwork cheek and flinched at the intensity of his body temperature. _Is he sick? Or is this from his quirk?! What did he do?_


End file.
